The Rebel
by Jazz777
Summary: She's never really cared about anyone. He's cared for countless. She's rebellious, aggressive, and stubborn. He's protective, serious, and calm. She's been sent to kill, but he's in her way. What happens when two opposites collide?
1. Father's Orders

**Hey everyone! This is set after the anime ends! As a disclaimer: I don't own Ouran or any of the characters besides my own... Please enjoy this story and let me know what you think :)**

* * *

"So you understand the mission?" Cigar smoke hung heavily in the air.

"No, please feel free to go over it for the one hundredth time," the sarcastic comment was followed by a harsh laugh.

"Careful," there was another puff of smoke, "You're doing this to get back in my good graces, remember?" There was a squeak of a chair and rustling. A figure stood up, arms crossed.

"Yeah? Keep your good graces," the owner of the voice kicked open the door, intending to exit.

"Ungratef-" there was a sigh, "Just do it, alright?" There was no response from the halted figure. "Understand? This mi-"

"Yes, yes! I understand that this mission is of the "utmost importance"!" The figure threw up its hands exasperatedly.

"And you know your target?" There was an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah."

"Your objective?"

"Yeah," there was a smirking laugh, "Kill Mitsukuni Haninozuka."

* * *

"Takashi!" The voice rang loud and clear through the house. "Hurry or we're going to be late!" Honey tugged at his tie and looked for his cousin. Mori came striding up, just having put his jacket on.

"Sorry," he said, opening the door.

"It's okay," Honey beamed up at his companion, "The morning is just going by so quickly!" Mori glanced at his small friend and nodded with a smile.

The two exited the house and began walking toward the awaiting car that would take them to school. It was going to be a busy day at the club. They had to prepare for the winter festival after all. _What does Tamaki have planned?_ Mori thought briefly, eyes scanning the surrounding area. Honey began talking about the different cakes he was going to suggest for the day, and Mori attentively listened, opening the car door for Honey. Just as Honey slid in, Mori jolted his head up. _Someone's there._ His first instinct was to slam the door, shutting Honey in the car, despite his cousin's protests. He knew Honey was just as tough as he was, but he would rather risk himself first before putting Honey in the line of fire.

A rustling to his left made him twitch. _Knew it._ He whipped around, ready for the oncoming attack. Though the Haninozuka and Morinozuka compound was protected, it wasn't completely sealed, any trained professional could enter if they worked hard enough. Mori clenched his fists, eyes and ears alert. In a suddenness that only trained eyes could catch, a figure leaped down from an adjacent roof and landed with a light thud on the roof of the car Honey was in.

The first thing Mori saw was a flash of metal. In a split second, the figure had produced a thin, long blade and stabbed it straight down through the roof of the car. Mori's heart clenched in fear for his small cousin. Without hesitating, he threw himself at the figure and both tumbled to the ground. _Should've been quicker_, a small part of Mori thought as he dodged a punch and threw the attacker against a tree. There was a gasp, and the attacker slouched slightly.

It was only then that Mori saw who he was fighting. A girl, no older than he, huffed and brought her face up. She had dark gray eyes that looked haughtily into Mori's, and long, black hair. Framing her face, one on each side, were two broad streaks of white hair. The contrast made her expression all the more impressive. She sized Mori up, gauging their height and weight differences. Mori did the same.

"Takashi! Are you alright!?" Honey had immediately jumped out of the car, worried for his friend.

"Are you hurt?" Was all Mori said, tensed and staring hard at the girl.

"He's not hurt," the girl spoke with a laugh, also tensing, "The blade missed by a millimeter." Honey's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"

"Oh," the girl let out another laugh, two sharp blades releasing from somewhere beneath her sleeves and dropping into her hands, "Only you, Mitsukuni Haninozuka. I'm only here for you." She looked almost bored, and added, "But _you're _in my way." She waved one of the blades at Mori's rigid form. His fists tightened.

"Who are you?" Honey repeated. Mori held out an arm, wanting Honey to keep back. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Does it matter?" She paused, tapping the blade against her chin, "Well if you must know, I'm Sora."

"Give up," Mori said, ignoring the introduction.

"Hmm. No. I don't think I will," Sora began to crouch.

"Then I'll have to stop you." Sora smirked at him and shook her head. Blades ready, she already knew where to strike. As she lunged, she laughed.

"Oh, I don't think it's going to work that way."

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**Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it! :]**


	2. Hidden Intentions

**Chapter 2! Thanks for reading everyone and I hope you like it :) Enjoy!**

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"Heh," Sora wiped her sleeve across her mouth, tasting blood. She'd just been thrown back by Mori. She'd managed to keep her footing, and waited until the dust cloud cleared before lunging again. She struck out with her left arm, and aimed a skilled uppercut with her right. She swiped immediately with her leg and managed to knock Mori down, something not many people could do. Her blades missed his neck and sliced cleanly through his jacket collar. He grunted in surprise.

"Don't make us hurt you!" The call alerted Sora just as Honey slammed into her. She'd known she was going up against some of the most skilled martial artists in the country, but she hadn't expected this much of a fight. Their skill and preparedness made her confidence waver. _No, no! You can do this! _The thought drove her on, aiming a shattering blow at Honey's left knee, but missing by a centimeter. _I won't let them beat me!_ She leapt back, panting, and reassessed her moves.

"I think you've got it the wrong way," she called, putting on the most confident and carefree tone she had. "But don't take it personally," she added, dodging a hit from Mori, "It's just my orders." Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Honey take out three thin spikes. The first whizzed by her and sliced a few strands of her white hair. The second nearly pinned her arm to a tree. She ducked and ran at Honey, avoiding the third spike. She was two steps away from him when she swerved and struck out at Mori, managing to land a blow on the arm that was reaching toward her to stop her attack on Honey.

Even with her hit on Mori, Sora knew she wasn't going to take him down easily. _Don't give up,_ the encouragement burned in her head and she breathed, trying to catch her breath. _What's with these people? Why can't _they_ just give up!? _A ringing interrupted her thoughts. She spared a quick glance at her pocket before rolling out of the way of Honey's fists. She tossed one of her knives aside and dug for the phone.

"What?" She swung herself around the tree and managed to avoid both Honey and Mori's attempts at capture. _At least I can dodge_… she thought wryly.

"Sora? I'm checking in on the mission. How is it proceeding?" Sora rolled her eyes and huffed.

"You tell me." She let out a gasp as Honey knocked her to the ground. She winced, but held up a finger, refusing to go down without at least a few snarky remarks.

"Are you in the midst of fighting?" The voice on the other end didn't sound very concerned.

"No, _dad_, I'm getting my nails done," Sora growled, "Now either tell me what you want or hang up."

"Oh, right… well, you can stop now," the voice had an amused tone that made Sora's blood boil, "Come back and we'll discuss the details."

"What!?" The phone called ended.

Sora glanced at the phone in anger and crushed it on the ground. She leapt up, prying off the strong hand that had immediately gripped her arm, and began to make an exit. As tired as she was, she was proud of how long she'd been able to evade them. Mori and Honey weren't as winded, but neither looked like they could keep this up for much longer. _Good thing I'm going then,_ Sora thought, still annoyed at having her mission cancelled. _Why in the world would he cancel it!?_

"So guys," Sora began backing up, "It's been really fun, but I've got to go." Neither replied, but both advanced, ready to capture, interrogate, and get on with their day. "Hey, I didn't say I wouldn't be back," she held up her hands and laughed, turning and sprinting toward the nearest gate. Mori and Honey ran after her. She jumped and caught hold of the railing before either of them could reach her. "Don't miss me too much!" She was over the gate, and then she was gone. Honey and Mori looked at each other in dismay. _Who was she?_

* * *

"No way!" Sora slammed her hands on the table. Her hair still dripped with water from her recent shower. She was glad to have gotten out of her dusty and bloody clothes, but the news from her father instantly dampened any good mood she had.

"Sora, this is serious!" Her father tapped his cigar lightly on the edge of an ashtray.

"Like hell it is!" She kept her head high, refusing to believe what he was saying, "This is my _life_ we're talking about!"

"Just one meeting. That's all. It's _one_ meeting!" Her father's tone grew more commanding.

"I can't believe it…" Sora put a hand to her head, "You ended my mission for… for _this_!?" Her father gave her a look. It was the kind of look that ended their discussion. Defeated, she threw up her hands and stormed off. _This is ridiculous! I don't even know who I'll be meeting!_

* * *

The next day:

"Dear god, Sora," her father's exasperation made her grin. "Couldn't you have cleaned up a little? You have a reputation to uphold!"

"Why? Do these people know what we do for a living?" She crossed her arms defiantly, glancing at her outfit. She wore a burgundy tank top underneath a well-worn leather jacket, and dark jeans with combat boots. _It doesn't matter anyway,_ she thought with a shrug, _I bet I'll scare off whoever it is in an hour._ The thought made her excited.

"Alright, here we go," her father, in a show of unusually good spirits, opened the thick, oak doors of the rented conference room. Sitting behind a table were two well-dressed people. A man and a woman. Both had stern, neutral expressions. And to their left was… _him!?_ Sora froze. In an instant, Mori had stood from his seat, eyes narrowed at Sora.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Morinozuka," her father walked gallantly into the room and went to shake their hands. Sora and Mori stood frozen, glaring at each other. "A pleasure," her father continued with his pleasantries, "I'm Ran Eraito, and this is my daughter, Sora Eraito." He looked expectantly at his frigid daughter.

"Pleased to meet you. This is our son, Takashi Morinozuka. He goes by 'Mori'," the woman said with a curt nod. Sora tore her eyes away from Mori and managed a weak bow. She looked up to see her father practically giggling with joy.

"What exactly is the meaning of this?" Sora said through gritted teeth, fists balled up.

"Oh well," her father shot her a sly look, "What better way to test a match than to see competition between the two subjects, eh?"

"Match? What kind of match?" Sora asked suspiciously, not wanting to know the answer.

"Why, a marriage match," the man, who Sora assumed was Mori's father, gestured to the two of them. Sora felt her insides turn to stone and then fire. _No way in hell, _she turned a furious glare on her father.

"No." The first opposition came from Mori, who looked at his parents with steely resolve.

"I second that," Sora raised her hand, earning a shrewd frown from Mori.

"This isn't your decision," her father growled. Sora crossed her arms in disbelief.

"Oh, it isn't?" She raised her eyebrows in mock surprise, "There's no way in-" the rest of her comment was muffled by her father's hand over her mouth. She glared at him, sincerely wanting to throw him out the window.

"The decision is final," Mori's mother nodded to his father. Sora's father smiled.

"Good. I'm glad we agree." Turning to Sora, he released her, saying, "You two are marriage candidates for each other and from now on are expected to act like it." The seriousness in his voice crumpled Sora's hope that this was all one big joke. "And furthermore," he father added, a gleam of amusement in his eyes, "You will attend the same school."

"You've got to be kidding me," Sora shook her head, suddenly tired. Her father smiled sweetly at the others, and then turned back to her.

"From now on you will be enrolled at Ouran Academy. I know you'll both make the most of this close contact to encourage our little arrangement." Sora risked a glance at Mori. He frowned back at her with hostile eyes. _Right…_ Sora thought with a smirk…_ This is going end well._

* * *

**The classic "marriage meeting"... Her father seems like a really tricky guy... anyway, at least Sora's got enough fire in her to deal with it ;D **

**thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**


	3. Fight By Any Means

**Hello everyone! Thanks so much for making it this far :D I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_I'm dreaming. That's what this is. It can't be anything but a stupid dream. _Sora paced her room, anxiously tugging her long hair back into a bun. _This can't be real. _Her father had lied smoothly and pacified the Morinozukas. It had been a joke to him. A fun little way for their children to meet and test their skills. There was nothing 'real' about her 'mission', he'd said. She stopped, remembering the heated conversation with her father after the meeting.

_"This is BS… Grade A BS!" _Sora's father had scowled at her.

_"This is to protect your future! Something that you haven't seemed to give a damn about!" _

_"This is you trying to get more power! This has nothing to do with my so-called 'future'!" _At that the argument had really heated up. _"They don't even know what _we _really do!" _Her father had told them they were investors in sports and martial arts. An elegant lie to cover an ugly truth.

_"They don't need to know." _

_"Just like mom didn't?" _This had silenced her father. With the swiftness of a man half his age, he'd gripped Sora's wrist and thrown her into her room, eyes full of rage.

_"Don't you dare bring up your mother in this! You _will_ attend that school and you _will_ act properly!"_ He'd slammed the door in her face, leaving Sora puffing with fury.

Two broken chairs and the ends of four embedded knives in her wall were the remnants of her anger. Slowly, the fire in her dimmed slightly; panic and desperation quickly caught hold and filled her. How long until she was discreetly murdered by those two preppy school boys? Thrown in some ditch to be found later. She shuddered at the thought. How long until their parents found out what her family really did for a living? When would they come with the police? How long until she got thrown away in a cell for the rest of her life?

The questions swirled dizzyingly through her head, and she had to brace herself against the wall. _No…_ she gritted her teeth, _I won't let that happen!_

* * *

The next day; Music Room #3:

"You're joking right?" Hikaru and Kaoru gaped in shock.

"No, it's true," Honey answered, voice a mix of worry, confusion, and sadness.

"That's… surprising…" Tamaki ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Never would've thought…"

"Yeah," Haruhi cut in, "I thought you were all about focusing solely on the Haninozukas?" Mori paled.

"It's okay," Honey saved his friend, "The Morinozukas are still expected to maintain a household and start a family, right Takashi?" Mori nodded silently, mood slowly plummeting.

"Hey," Kaoru began, "Didn't you say…"

"That she was supposed to begin school today?" Hikaru finished.

"She wasn't in first period today," Kyoya pointed out, typing away on his keyboard.

"She's a second year? Not a third year?" Haruhi asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Honey shrugged, "It sounds like she hasn't attended school much…"

"Trouble with authority?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

"Family issues?" Kaoru suggested with a shrug.

"It doesn't matter." Mori's voice made them all stop. He sighed and stood, walking to the window. _What are they thinking? A marriage meeting? When I need to focus on Mitsukuni?_ He sighed again, wishing that girl would just disappear. _She tried to kill him_. The thought made his muscles tense. If he'd been one second slower, Honey could've been dead. _But you got there,_ a voice pointed out. _Yeah, but she almost had him. _

"Takashi," Honey had come to stand beside him, putting a hand on his arm, "Don't worry. It scared me too." Mori remained silent, gazing at the wintry, but green gardens below. He didn't want to admit it, but the length of time that the girl… Sora, had lasted against both of them was impressive. And it was scary. No one should've been able to block their attacks. Honey by himself was deadly, and Mori by himself was deadly. Together; they were unstoppable. Until her. Mori thought back to their meeting, frowning.

She'd held a fierce expression even then, glaring with what could only be full hatred at him. He'd instantly felt hostile toward her, but that was shadowed by disbelief in what his parents were saying. _A marriage meeting… this can't be real… _

"Ahh…" Tamaki stretched and sigh, "And just after our lovely vacation… what a shame…" Kyoya stopped typing.

"A vacation none of you were supposed to come on," he spoke curtly, but fondly to his friend. Tamaki grinned at him.

"Yeah, sorry." Mori turned from the window.

"No it's okay," Haruhi said reassuringly, "But if she's not here at school, where is she?"

* * *

It had gone perfectly until the crash. Some idiot had scraped the side of the motorcycle and thrown her off balance. She'd ended up sprawled ungracefully on the side of the road. Luckily it was the middle of the night and a little-used road. She sat up, ears ringing and head pounding. She glanced in despair at her ruined bike. It had been her last gift from _him._

"He's not here. So don't think about it," she muttered, pushing down the guilt. She resumed surveying the scene and herself for any injuries. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, she was unharmed. But she wouldn't be for long if she didn't hurry. She could have taken a plane directly from the city, but her father would've tracked her down easily. This back road was the quickest and most discreet way to reach the south. From there, a simple plane ride would permanently end any ideas of marriage that her father had for her.

"Like he even cares," she scoffed and stood, gingerly prodding her head. She gathered her backpack, checking to make sure her passport and money were still secure. Now to keep moving. She decided immediately against following the road. _Too conspicuous…_ she turned and headed into the thick woods to her left. She'd be less easy to spot in there. Wincing as a sharp pain shot up her leg, she began a slow jog through the trees. _Maybe I was hurt,_ she thought, pushing back the anxiety that that idea brought. She continued on. The moon filtered through the leaves, and a cold wind blew, making her face go numb. _Fantastic. If I don't die at the hands of a spoiled rich kid, I'll die from hypothermia. _

In the silence of the dense forest, she heard a sound. It was a muffled car motor, off in the distance. _Probably just someone passing on the road, _she reassured herself. Even so, she picked up the pace. As she crossed a thin stream, it was as if someone had flipped a switch. One second she was alone in the vast, soundless space, and the next she was being followed. She could hear at least two people close behind, flanking her. Further back she heard loud crashing and voices. _Dammit! _She cursed and sprinted. Her father probably sent his obnoxious lackeys after her. He'd be furious. _Good._ She sneered at the thought of one of his goons catching her. She'd never hear the end of it.

She leapt up the side of a hill, dodging trees, and sped down the other side. She could still hear at least two people following her. The crashing behind them had decreased, and she hoped some had given up. Her leg sent a jolting shock of pain to remind her that she couldn't keep running forever. _Damn. _She swore to herself and slowed. Time to face her pursuers.

She stopped, panting, and glanced around. The two followers must have stopped. She could hear nothing but the cold wind rustling the leaves of the trees. Slowly, she reached for a knife. A throwing knife would've been better, but she didn't have time. This was a face-to-face kind of attack.

"Alright," she called into the night, "Come out, come out wherever you are… I know my father sent you." She brandished the knife, glaring at the darkness of the forest. _Wonder how much he told them to push me… _Her father would've told them to rough her up a bit before hauling her back home. No one in their group could match her, but having a greater number against her did swing the odds dangerously in their favor. _It better not be that obnoxious Araito,_ she thought, remembering how he'd once hit her so hard she'd had a headache for days. _Revenge would be nice though,_ she smiled, the moonlight glinting off her teeth.

She was backing up, hoping to make it over another hill before they caught up to her. She felt the brush of a tree at her right, and swiftly turned. She was thrown against the tree before she could move. Shocked and dazed, her vision swam in front of her. A strong hand pinned her to the tree. Her foot and back protested painfully. Blinking, she looked up. _Mori!? _

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**Trying to run away... tsk, Sora is definitely a rebellious girl... anyway, let's just hope it doesn't get her into too much trouble someday ;) Also, as an interesting little side note, it seems I really favor titles beginning with 'The'... hehe all my stories start with it.. what a coincidence, eh? Anyway... thank you so much for reading and please let me know what you think :D **


	4. Patience

**Hey everyone! Here is chapter 4 :) Enjoy!**

* * *

He gazed at her coldly. She glared back, hoping she looked more intimidating than she felt. Somehow she'd dropped the knife and now broke her glare to look for it. Not seeing it, she turned back to Mori's stone-cold face. She sighed, wishing he'd just kill her now and get it over with.

"Why are you here?" She spoke first, voice accusing and irritated.

"Why are you?" Mori replied, voice monotone. _Great,_ she thought, _strong and annoying._

"Listen," she closed her eyes and then opened them again, "If you're going to kill me, just do it now. I'd prefer it if you at least did it was some class, okay? Burn my body or whatever, don't just toss me in some ditch… keeps it simpler." Mori looked at her, shocked.

"You think I would do that?" Sora shrugged.

"That's what I'd do." Her leg still ached with pain, and she moved a hand, wanting to test just how hurt she was. Before she could move it an inch, Mori had shot out his own hand and pinned hers against the tree. Her knuckles stung, and she shot him a glare.

"I was only checking my leg!"

"Sorry." He didn't sound very sorry.

"I'm hurt," Sora continued, "Don't you have some sort of code of ethics that requires you to care for the injured or something?" Mori contemplated that. It was true that there were certain moral principles that should be followed, but this… this wasn't something he would willingly tell her.

In the moments that he was distracted, Sora ripped her arms out of his grasp and aimed a blow at his chest. It worked. He staggered back, winded, and clutched the spot of impact. Sora, ignoring her leg, began to race off. _Freedom! _She spared a glance for Mori, who was still wincing. _See you never, Sergeant Serious! _She let out a breathless laugh, but was quickly silenced. Someone barreled into her, knocking her to the ground. She hit her head hard and felt blackness closing in. The shock of the impact numbed her body. The last thing she saw before going unconscious was a pair of advancing loafers. _Great… death by prep. _She struggled to stay awake, but knew it was pointless. _Crap._

* * *

"Ooh look! She's waking up!"

"Stay back."

"She doesn't look dangerous."

"She is."

Sora blinked, cringing at the light directly above her. She was on a mat, on the floor of some room. Testing her strength, she formed a fist with her hand. She exhaled in relief, hating the idea of being weak. It was one thing to get knocked unconscious and another to lose your strength entirely. _Not that that will help you right now,_ a snarky voice in her head said. _Shut up._

"Hm, she has quite an impressive disciplinary record," a voice said. "Throwing desks out of windows, threatening students and teachers, and having illegal weapons on campus…"

Sora sat up, waiting for the world to stop spinning before adding, "You forgot 'setting fire to the teacher's lounge'." Blinking, she saw a glasses-clad boy wince slightly before looking back at her. She looked around, taking in the other faces surrounding her. There were orange-haired twins, a very small, feminine-looking boy, and a blonde-hair boy; standing behind them all were Mori and her ex-target, Mitsukuni Haninozuka. She stifled a laugh. _Oh man, this the beginning to some really bad joke…_

"That's very interesting," the blonde-haired boy looked at her with violet eyes. She looked at him suspiciously. "Would you care to tell me your name, princess?" He bent his head down gallantly. Sora had to cover another laugh.

"Listen, '_Princess_', I don't trust anyone who is that polite or that handsome," she replied.

"Why thank you," the blonde put a hand delicately to his face.

"That wasn't a compliment," Sora rolled her eyes and shifted. Her leg seemed to be sore, but better, and all her scrapes had been bandaged. Instantly, the blonde had grayed and run into a corner, pouting.

"Don't mind him," the feminine one came to kneel beside her.

"Who are you?" Sora asked, eyes narrowed.

"I'm Haruhi Fujioka. Nice to meet you." Sora nodded, gauging what she could do to escape, but gave up the idea quickly when the world turned fuzzy again.

"Sora," she finally sighed, "Sora Eraito. Nice to meet you Haruhi," she paused, then continued, "So, uh, are you a girl or a guy?" The question shocked everyone in the room. The bluntness of it froze Haruhi, wondering if it was socially acceptable to consider the question rude.

"W-why… wh… wha…" the twins stuttered, waving their hands around.

"No, it's alright," Haruhi looked directly at Sora, answering bluntness with bluntness. "I'm a girl."

"And for various reasons, she has to dress and act as a boy," the glasses one cut in, "We'd like to keep it as confidential as possible. Do you understand?" Sora thought, wondering why on earth a girl would have to pose as a guy. _Especially around _these_ guys_. "Do you agree to keep her secret?" The glasses guy's voice hardened.

"Calm down Glasses," Sora smirked, "I'll keep the top-secret secret." (Kyoya: 'Glasses'?! What the hell?)

Sora paused, assessing the room. There was only one door, and no windows. Her internal clock told her it was still night. She doubted she would have been unconscious for too long. She glanced at Mori and Mitsukuni. They were quietly conversing and then nodded at one another. Both came closer. Sora clenched her fists.

"So, decided on how to get rid of me?" Sora kept the confidence in her voice, but was slightly nervous inside.

"No," Honey said, "We were just reviewing what your father told us."

"My father!?" _That scheming bastard!_

"Yes," Glasses nodded, "He's given Mori instructions to keep you in school." Sora was speechless. Her father had recruited these idiots? She blinked in shock.

"But Kyoya senpai," Haruhi asked, "Where do we come in?" Glasses turned, looking at Mori and Honey. "We're here to help." Sora shot a glare at Mori, who returned it with a cold, but blank expression.

"Sorry to disappoint," she said, wanting to escape, "But I don't need a babysitter. And I certainly don't need to attend some stupid academy for rich kids." The venom in her voice made the group hesitate.

"You will go to school," Mori came to stand beside her mat, towering over her. "I promised your father I would make sure you remain there." Sora, annoyance flaring, shot up and threw a punch at his shoulder. He caught her wrist and held it firmly, glaring at her. "You will go." Glancing around, Sora knew she wouldn't win this battle, plus the room had spun a great deal when she'd leapt up. _Can't run yet… just wait until the coast is clear…_

"Alright, Captain Cold," she smirked at Mori, pulling her wrist out of his grip and rubbing it, "I'll play along." The other members of the group exhaled in relief.

"Alright," Glasses turned toward the door, "It's late. You'll have to be up in approximately five hours."

"Guess I'll see you at school," Haruhi smiled and followed. Sora watched as the Pouting Prince stood and slowly followed as well. The twins looked at her, looked at each other, shrugged, and exited. Honey and Mori were all that remained.

"See you tomorrow Mitsukuni," she shot him a mean smile.

"It's Honey," he said, wishing this strange girl would just vanish from their lives.

"Sugar, Frosting, whatever!" Sora threw up her hands. Honey looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped and shook his head, walking out to go eat some soothing cake.

And then there was one. Mori looked sharply at her. _This is going to be a challenge,_ he thought, _but I promised I would make her stay. I have to keep my promise._

"Wishing I wasn't so charming and cute?" Sora's snide comment halted his thoughts.

"No. Not at all." Mori felt the beginning of a headache coming on. He opened the door and left. He locked the door behind him, per her father's wishes, and sighed. This was going to take a lot of patience.

* * *

The next day:

"I will die before I wear this." Sora said deadpan.

"It's not that bad miss…" the maid of the house tried her best, holding the awful yellow dress up.

"No way." Sora shook her head. "Murder me first."

* * *

"She's going to make us late," Honey said morosely. Mori nodded, annoyance rising.

"She's resistant," he replied. Honey nodded. They had less than fifteen minutes until school began. _This is ridiculous, _Mori clenched his jaw angrily.

"M-Masters…" the maid ran up to them, panting, "She says she would rather die than wear the uniform… I can't get her to wear it…" she huffed and leaned against the wall. Mori cracked his knuckles, gave Honey an apologetic glance, and strode toward Sora's room. _This ends now. _Already one day in and Mori's patience had cracked.

* * *

**Ah poor Mori! He's going to have to put up with a lot more than just stubbornness... ah well, he's a tough guy.. he can handle it... right? **

**Thanks for reading and please let me know how I'm doing! I love hearing from y'all ;D**


	5. A Lesson In Resistance

**Ok... can I just say: I am constantly blown away with how nice y'all are... seriously. You guys are such sweet readers/reviewers! I can't thank you enough :) I am absolutely and positively grateful!**

**So... here's chapter 5! Please enjoy!**

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The car's silence was crushing. Sora glared angrily out the back window. Honey and Mori sat further up, both lost in their own thoughts. Sora looked at the back of Mori's head, thinking of how nice it would be to throw something at it. _The nerve of that guy!_ He'd barged into her room and demanded for her to wear the headache-inducing yellow uniform. Sora looked at the fluffy, yellow thing. _I swear… if I die in this I'll personally come back and drag him to hell!_ It was atrocious. He'd threatened to start another fight, and seeing as she wasn't quite up to her optimal health, the idea was less than appealing. He hadn't even budged when she'd resorted to pleading. _Sergeant Serious… more like Annoying As-_

"We're here." Mori made the statement for her benefit, not that she listened. All three exited the car and Sora gazed in wonder at the lavish school. The green lawns and marble fountains were made all the more impressive by the huge school buildings. Her family was wealthy, but they didn't show off as much as this school seemed to. Sora had to hold her chin to keep her mouth from gaping open.

"You have your schedule? Do you know your first period?" Honey looked at her, voice hesitant. He still wasn't sure if he liked her or not. She had tried to kill him, but only on her father's request, which Honey had been told was a silly joke. He knew enough about the responsibilities to one's own parents to kind of understand why she'd gone through with it. _But what kind of girl so easily attempts to murder someone? Even if it's fake…_ Her father had assured Mori and his parents that she was now perfectly safe and had no intentions of fighting or attacking. It still made Honey suspicious. Any martial arts family was skilled… but none that he knew would ever dream of outwardly 'attacking' people. Much less joke about assassinating someone. It was strange.

"Yeah. Lesson 101 in how to waste enormous amounts of money," she replied with a serious tone, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a sarcastic grin.

"If you need anything, call us." Mori ignored her comment and began walking off, intent on getting to class and forgetting about her. Honey gave her a shrug and followed. She watched them go, apprehension rising.

"Awesome…" Sora sighed, beginning to look for the correct building.

* * *

1:00 PM:

"You can't be serious," Honey's smile dropped to a frown.

"I'm afraid I am," Kyoya replied.

"Where is she?" Mori asked, not really wanting to take responsibility.

"The principal sent her to a classroom in the west building to wait for someone to go pick her up," he looked pointedly at Mori, who felt tired just thinking about having to deal with Sora.

"What did she do?" Haruhi asked, tilting her head to look at Kyoya. (Mori: what didn't she do would be the better question...)

"Well during first period the teacher confronted her about some… jewelry…" Tamaki sighed, remembering the scene.

"Jewelry? She wasn't wearing any when she left this morning… we made sure of it…" Honey looked at Mori, who shook his head.

"She probably put it on right before class," Kyoya said, "But the important thing is that the teacher saw it and started to reprimand her…" he hesitated.

"And then what?" Mori asked flatly.

"She began arguing with the teacher and threatened to throw him out the window…" Tamaki replied. Mori and Honey put their hands to their heads. (Haruhi: who threatens to throw someone out a window!?)

"So she was sent to the empty classroom so she couldn't threaten anymore students or teachers," Kyoya ended with a sigh, clapping shut his notebook. He had done all the research he could on Sora and her family, and it was all straight-cut. They seemed like any aristocratic martial arts and sports family. '_Seem' being the operative word,_ Kyoya thought with a frown.

"We were going to wait to tell you until the end of the day… but the teacher wanted her taken care of now," Tamaki added, looking sympathetically at Mori's slouched form.

"Okay," Mori sighed and stood, ready to go fetch and scold Sora. He'd have to do some major pleading to keep her from getting kicked out.

He left Honey with the rest of the hosts to eat lunch and strode quickly toward the designated classroom. He passed many students and gave curt nods to all the girls that waved. He'd never really thought about the girls he and Honey entertained, and he certainly had never thought about marriage. His parents obviously thought about it though… Mori quickened his pace, wanting to get this over with. _How did I end up with one of the most stubborn and headstrong girls as a marriage candidate!?_ The thought baffled him. _Why am I even considering marriage right now?_ This bothered him even more.

In just a few minutes, he'd reached the room. Bracing himself, he opened the door. Sora sat by the window on a desk. She was busy carving something into the wooden top of the desk, but looked up at his entrance.

"Oh, it's you," she turned back to her woodwork.

"It's your first day," Mori began, "And you already got in trouble." Sora stopped, setting down the miniature knife.

"Well, well… good observation skills Detective Dreary," she winked at him and brushed away some dust. Mori, doing his best to hold his temper, walked over to look at what she had been doing. The first thing he noticed was the chains and spikes that hung around her neck, and the glinting skeleton earrings. The aforementioned jewelry. _What is she? Some sort of gothic rocker? _He shook his head.

"No knives. No jewelry." He plucked the knife from the desk and tossed it into the trashcan across the room. Sora whipped her head around and glared at him.

"Hey! I wasn't finished with that!" She put a hand over what she'd been carving. There was an intricate flowing design surrounding a letter. H. Mori gazed at it, not knowing what it meant.

"Sora," he turned from the design and looked at her necklaces, "Don't cause trouble for others. Take the jewelry off." Sora frowned and removed herself from her perch on the desk. She stood in front of Mori, eyes challenging.

"Listen Lieutenant Lonesome," her eyes looked fiercely into his, "We can both smile and pretend this is going to work…" she crossed her arms, "But I know for a fact that it won't. And you may have made your promises or whatever, but I can assure you… no matter how hard you try to keep me here... you will fail." She leaned forward, grinning meanly, "I will make your life hell. I will fight with everything I've got. So," she stepped back and headed for the door, "Give up now."

Mori looked at her. Irritation built up inside him. Who was this girl that was so incredibly resistant and obnoxious? It made him feel annoyance like he'd never felt before. Fine. He turned toward the door as well. _If she wants to fight with fire, I'll fight with fire. _

"Then I too," Mori began, a menacing look forming on his face, "Will fight with all I've got." Sora froze, not expecting a rebuttal. _He's going to really fight me on this,_ she thought in disbelief. _That's so… that's so damn annoying! Fine. You want to play that way? Time to go to the big leagues. _She smirked, cracked her knuckles, and walked out. "Bring it on."

* * *

3:15 PM:

"Welcome!" The Host Club is now open for business!

The guests scurried in, eager to meet all their favorite hosts. Tea and delicate pastries sat on nearby tables, and each host, dressed in the classy suits of the American 1920s, catered indulgently to their guests.

"Oh wow Tamaki! You look really good in a suit! Is that a real feather?" The girls crowded around him.

"Why yes, my love, this here suit is the real deal! And this feather, though luscious, is nothing compared to your beauty and exquisite charm…" the girls around him nearly fainted.

"Hey Haruhi," a girl tilted her head curiously at the host, "What do you think of the winter festival preparations?" Haruhi contemplated the question.

"I think they are going well, but of course that's thanks to you ladies," she replied with a smile, making the girl blush.

"Let's play… the Which One is Hikaru Game!" The twins grinned widely at their guests. "These are authentic 1920s hats!" Kaoru tapped his. Hikaru nodded. "But the style won't help you figure it out, so do your best!" The girls each murmured amongst themselves, excited to try to guess.

"Hey Kyoya," Haruhi had broken away from her guests, "Where's Honey senpai and Mori senpai?" He turned from his computer.

"They should be h-" He got cut off by the door of the club banging open. In stepped a panting Mori and Honey. Within their grip was Sora, face red and eyes glaring sharply at the people in the room.

"What…" Haruhi and the rest of the hosts were speechless.

"H-Honey… Mori…" Tamaki came to stand in front of them.

"What happened?" The twins popped up beside them, curious as to why all three looked exhausted.

"Caught her trying to escape over the south gate," Mori said, still catching his breath. Sora squirmed beneath their hold, but they didn't budge.

"Argh! Let me go!" Sora finally wrestled her arms away from their grasps, and settled for crossing her arms and glaring at them.

"She runs fast…" Honey yawned, wanting to get some cake and then have a nap with Usa-chan.

"Not fast enough obviously," Kyoya pointed out.

"Shut it Glasses," Sora growled, "This is _your_ fault! You mentioned this stupid club to my father!" She pointed an accusing finger at Kyoya.

"Any reputable martial arts and sports investment family should know the value of crowd pleasing," Kyoya replied with a suspicious look. This silenced Sora, who glared hatefully at the ground.

"Hey," Tamaki looked gently at her, "This club is for everyone to enjoy and have fun… please stay awhile." Sora looked up at him, eyes narrowed.

"Alright Princess," she grinned at the shell-shocked guests and graying Tamaki, "I'll stay…" She turned toward Mori and shot him a smirk, "But you might just regret it." Mori looked down at her with determination.

"Doubt it."

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**Geez... Sora will do anything to get out of that school, huh? This is just the beginning of her many... *interesting* (to put it nicely) adventures at Ouran ;D**

**For the record... I had delayed uploading this chapter because I had to write a paper... why is writing a story so much easier than an essay?! I spent maybe two hours writing this as perfectly as possible... and endless days writing my ridiculously bad essay... I feel like I should get my priorities straightened out hehe ;] but we all know that's not gonna happen... **

**Anyway, let me know how I'm doing! I love hearing from y'all and am sending you virtual waves of thanks and awesomeness!**


	6. Some Kind of Failure

**Hello my lovely readers! It has been one heck of a week, but I've got a new chapter for you! I can't thank you enough for reading and reviewing! Please enjoy!**

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The afternoon had dragged on. Sora sat moodily by the windows of the music room. She'd had to listen to the constant giggling and chatting of the girls and the pathetic groveling that the hosts had to do. The Princess had said she would eventually understand the value of their club, but she was skeptical. And what was with those outfits? Did they always dress up like that? _Waste of time…_ Sora shook her head and poked at the windowpane.

"Wah, Tamaki! This theme is one of the most realistic! It's brilliant!" One girl had snuggled right up to the Princess and was gazing at him starry-eyed. Sora snorted and kept her back turned.

"It's all for you my dear," Tamaki said, "The realism of this theme is only to make you feel more like the daring and desired maiden that you are…" The girl blushed and giggled under his gaze. Sora felt like dying of laughter. This was too much. She stifled her laugh and looked around the room.

Looking at all the awed guests, she tapped her head in thought. The twins were laughing together, Haruhi was smiling charmingly, Glasses was typing away at a computer, and Honey and Mori were stoically eating cake. There was a happy charm throughout the room. A contentedness that seemed to emanate from every host and guest. It was orderly and warm at the same time. Sora felt a grin form on her face. _Time to shake things up…_

She quietly stood from her spot and tiptoed over to the table containing the sweets and tea. There were delicate cakes and cookies all laid out nicely. Hot tea steamed elegantly from the pots. Sora bent down, examined one of the smaller tea cakes, and picked it up. Eyes glinting, she honed in on the Princess.

"Hey Princess! Heads up!" She called just after she'd thrown the miniature cake at Tamaki's face. The cake zoomed like a bullet and hit its mark. Tamaki leapt back, wiping at his startled face. Sora winked at him, grinning.

"Why you!" Tamaki felt energy bubble up inside him even though he wasn't sure he quite liked being called 'Princess'. "You want to play that way, huh?" He inched his way over to another table containing sweets. "I'll have you know, my aim is impeccable!" Sora rolled her eyes and reached for another dessert.

"No." Mori had lifted her up and back by her arms, out of reach of the pastry table, in a flash. Sora turned annoyed eyes on him.

"Hey! What are you doing?" She struggled out of his grasp and dropped back to the floor.

"What do you think _you're_ doing?" Mori looked at her in annoyance.

"Having a little fun…" Sora replied, "Something you could do if you weren't so uptight."

"Having fun and causing trouble are two different things," Mori replied, ignoring Tamaki's sheepish looks.

"I have to agree with Mori," Kyoya cut in.

"Stay out of this Glasses," Sora scowled.

"Really... you have zero charm or class," Kyoya retorted.

"I don't _need_ charm or class," Sora looked hard at all the hosts. She shot glares at a few of the guests who'd turned to look at her, and at her glare they whipped back around, shaking.

"Don't scare our guests," Mori returned her glare with one of his own.

"I-" Sora began to say.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Honey cut in, coming to stand beside Mori, "This club isn't about being stuck up or anything… it's about making people happy." His chocolate eyes gazed into hers. Grudgingly, she remained silent. _He has a point,_ some part of her pointed out. She huffed a sigh of defeat.

"Alright Buttercup," Sora began.

"It's Honey."

"Yeah, Cinnamon, whatever… I'll try to understand this ridiculous club," Sora shook her head, "But geez… you would fail completely in my world." (Haruhi: your world?)

"And you would fail as a host," Mori replied, turning and ending the conversation. Sora gritted her teeth, holding back any comment she was about to make regarding his face and a brick wall.

* * *

One week later:

"Failing!?" Tamaki's eyes went wide.

"Already? Geez you must be s-t-u-p-i-d…" the twins grinned cheerily at Sora's shaking form.

"I… I," she stuttered, wanting to hit something and cry at the same time.

"A 26 on your first test? Hm," Kyoya had plucked the test from her hands, "You're worse than most." He shook his head and tossed the paper back to her. Sora ignored his comment and sunk into the chair beside her.

"It's not like I tried to fail…" she began, though it actually would've been a pretty good way to get out of Ouran. Her father was keeping complete tabs on her at home, and she was surrounded by these fools at school. But still… failing a class already… _At least if I'd meant to fail I could have some honor and pride left… but this… this is complete incompetency! _

"Wow…" Haruhi's eyes blinked in disbelief, but she quickly put on a sympathetic face, "D-don't worry! We can help you! I enjoy math, so I'll tutor you!" Sora looked at her, gratitude flooding her face for the first time since she'd arrived at the overpriced school.

"Ah-hah!" Tamaki had lifted his head, and a sly look glinted in his eyes. "I have an idea…" He put his hand to his chin, ready to make a declaration. "If you stop calling me 'Princess' and also behave respectfully… we will help you improve your grades!" He looked confidently into Sora's eyes, and she knew she didn't have a choice.

"Okay Pri… Tamaki," she sighed, "I agree to your terms." Tamaki broke into a wide grin. He turned and faced his hosts.

"Alright men! This is our new goal! Our new project! Our mission: Help Sora Pass Her Exams!"

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**Ahh Sora... her math problems mirror my own (in case you couldn't guess hehehe)... but I realized that I never did a character profile for Sora! So here you go :)**

**Character Corner: Sora Eraito **

**Height: 5' 5"**

**Weight: 112 lbs **

**Eyes: dark gray**

**Hair: straight, black hair with a streak of white on both sides of her face (think Rogue from X-men only with raven-black hair)**

**Style: dark, burgundy, anything studded or leather, skull earrings, chain necklaces, and such - basically semi-gothic **

**Favorite things: sarcasm and fighting **

**Fun Facts:**

**- Sora = sky- She can't cook - and one time almost burned down her family house trying to cook curry - She has never had a boyfriend, but many have had crushes on her - She once punched a boy in her elementary school because he'd teased her**

**Hope you enjoyed! Let me know how I'm doing and I will try to have the next chapter out soon!**

**Thanks :D**


	7. Exam Empathy

**Hey everyone! As JuliannaCherries pointed out... I forgot to tell y'all Sora's age! She's 18 (she's a second year, but only because she was held back for disorderly conduct at previous schools)... not surprising, right? So technically she should be in Mori and Honey's grade... - her birthday is April 12th and she's an Aries! Hope this clears things up ;) **

**Thanks for reading and please let me know how I'm doing!**

* * *

"I give up." Sora's forehead eagerly greeted the cool wooden surface of the desk with a thud.

"You can't just give up!" Haruhi protested exasperatedly. They'd been studying for two hours, but nothing had gotten through to Sora.

"You keep telling me these formulas… and all I hear is 'math with numbers' and 'math with letters'…" Sora groaned, not bothering to sit up at the sound of someone entering the classroom.

"Tsk, you're a second year being tutored by a first year? How disappointing," Glasses pulled up a chair beside Haruhi.

"Thanks for the support. That's what I really love about you Glasses; you're all about the warm and fuzzies," Sora lifted her head to shoot him a glare.

"It's just a simple equation that you follow," Haruhi interjected, wanting to get back to the task at hand, "See? The radical can disappear if you multiply by the conjugate." Sora looked at the paper blankly.

"But how does it just," she snapped her fingers, "Disappear like that? You sound like you're just making things up!"

"This is hopeless," Kyoya sighed. Just as Sora was about to retort, a strong hand came down on her shoulder. She looked up to find Mori gazing at the paper.

"If you have two teams of fighters and you pair up people who are the same strength and skill level," he pointed at where the multiplication sign was, "They're on different teams so it makes them opposite, yet they still have the same level of skill and endurance. They cancel each other out and are out of the competition." He ended, stepping to the side and watching Sora's face turn from one of bewilderment to semi-understanding. As much as she hated to admit it, his explanation had helped.

"Okay Comrade…" she said slowly, turning to look at him, "That sort of makes sense… but what can you tell me about derivatives?" Kyoya and Haruhi watched in awe as Mori pulled up a chair and began explaining everything as if he were a mathematician. Kyoya took out his notebook, jotted something down, and clapped it shut. The hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth and he beckoned for Haruhi to follow him out.

"They look like they're finally getting along," Haruhi said as they walked down the hall. Kyoya chuckled internally to himself.

"Yes. It does look that way, doesn't it?"

* * *

Wednesday: one day before the exam:

4:00 PM:

"Welcome ladies!" The Host Club is now open for business!

Rose petals swirled lazily around the room, and each girl 'ooh-ed' and 'ahh-ed'. Everything was running smoothly.

"So you two really support each other huh?" One girl looked at the twins, eyes wide. Hikaru nodded.

"Yeah, Kaoru here is a pretty big dreamer though," he laughed, "Once he told me that his dream was to be a space explorer… running through space and discovering new things." Hikaru chuckled, but Kaoru lowered his head.

"Hikaru…" he said, lower lip trembling, "I thought I told you not to tell anyone that…" Hikaru stopped, and pulled his brother closer.

"It's okay Kaoru," he brought their faces an inch apart, "Only I know your darkest dreams."

"Hikaru…" Kaoru gasped and blushed. The girls around them had red faces and their hearts pounded. Haruhi glanced at them, snorted at the stupidity, and continued on with her teapot.

"Oh Tamaki…" the girl batted her lashes at the host, "How can it be that you are so humble, yet so handsome?" Tamaki smiled at her. (Haruhi: I wouldn't say he's _humble_ exactly…)

"A person can be many things, princess," he put a hand to her face, "Take yourself, for instance… you are beautiful and innocent, yet so dangerous to one such as myself… a double-edged blade if you will." The girl's eyes went wide and she blushed.

"Takashi! I dropped Usa-chan somewhere!" Honey ran up to his friend in near-tears. Mori glanced around and began looking for the bunny, along with the help of a few of the endeared guests. Finally, Mori found it under a table. He picked Usa-chan up and brought it over to Honey.

"Here," he smiled slightly at Honey's wide smile.

"Thanks!" The girls around them had stars in their eyes.

"Good job you two," Kyoya came over to them. Honey grinned and Mori nodded. "But… where is Sora?" Honey and Mori both froze, having forgotten the now-studious girl. Once she'd gotten serious, it had been hard to pull her away from studying and working. The rest of the hosts had grown quite impressed by her determination. She had been practically nonexistent in the Host Club room for the entire week, spending all of her time with her nose buried in a textbook; something that Mori wasn't complaining about, but it was a little odd that he had forgotten about her today.

"I…" Mori began; Kyoya looked at him in interest.

"She's in your care after all… shouldn't she be here?" A knowing smile played on his lips and he turned, leaving a graying Mori and upset Honey.

"He's right," Mori finally said, "I should find her." Honey kept his face down.

"Alright." Honey watched his cousin go, a deep feeling of disappointment and even a little jealousy tinging his heart. He shook his head. _No! Takashi is still the same… and I have to do everything I can to help him! _

* * *

5:00 PM:

It was early evening when he found her. It had taken all afternoon to hunt her down. He was irritated beyond belief. Ouran was huge, and his searching had taken even more time thanks to the fact that barely anyone knew who she was. _This is ridiculous…_ he thought, as he opened the door to the library that a student had directed him to. He planned on dragging her back to her house and then going home to have a peaceful evening of studying and work.

He stepped into the near-empty room, the setting sun illuminating the slouched figure ahead. He inhaled, ready to use force to drag Sora out, even if she went kicking and screaming. He strode over and stopped. Sora was asleep. She had her head down on a stack of books, and her legs tucked under her. It couldn't be a very comfortable position, but dark circles under her eyes showed Mori that comfort wasn't important to her at the moment.

He knelt down beside her, glancing at the books piled around her. Math and formula books were scattered haphazardly. She sighed in her sleep and shifted. Mori's annoyed expression softened, and he gently removed the trigonometry book clutched under her arm. Softly, he put his arms around her back and under her legs, and lifted her. She stirred at the movement, blearily gazing at him.

"W… wha aare you doing?" She blinked, trying to wake up.

"Taking you home," he replied, already out the door of the library.

"But… no…" she struggled in his arms, but he kept a firm hold on her. "I need to study!" Mori looked down at her with a soft smile.

"You've done enough."

* * *

**D'aww... Mori's warming up to her! ... or is he!? No he totally is.. the big softy! **

**Up next is a little bit of drama and [hopefully] some more endearing moments! Thanks for reading! I really, truly appreciate it :D (virtual hug of gratitude and awesomeness) **


	8. Grades Are Easier to Change Than People

**Hello my amazing readers! How are you all? I hope you've been enjoying this story so far :) It's been really fun to write! Anyway... Have you ever just had so much work that you do none of it? Yep. This is the result of me not working... heh... heh... I regret nothing! *raises fist in the air* **

**Well, enough about my woes... Please enjoy this new chapter! **

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The anxiety of the room was building. Each of the hosts could barely concentrate on their guests. Tamaki, who hadn't been allowed to help with the tutoring, sat chewing his nails and nodding along to his chattering guest. The twins squirmed in their seats, wanting to get up and have some fun, but restraining themselves. Kyoya and Haruhi sat silently at a table, Kyoya typing away on his computer and Haruhi contemplatively sipping her tea. The guests could practically feel the weight of their concern.

Honey and Mori also sat at a table. Honey slowly ate his third piece of cake, while Mori stared listlessly out the window. He had spent the last couple of days tutoring the ever-resistant Sora, and had watched in actual amazement as she'd slowly focused and began taking it seriously. Her concentration had surprised him. She had barely looked up from her books and notes the last few days, and he'd been even more surprised to find her asleep in the library. A moment of weakness he hadn't expected.

Still, he put a hand to his face, she'd looked so fragile then. Asleep, her face was relaxed and she'd seemed like just a normal girl. _So she is human,_ the thought made him smile, thinking back to how invincible she always seemed. _Yes she's human. She's just a girl._ He turned from the window and looked at Honey. He sighed, hoping his bond with Honey was as invincible as Sora believed her own strength to be... _No… it will always be there. Always._

There was a clattering of footsteps, and then the door burst open. Sora stood there, huffing, hair blowing across her face and leaving everyone in the room startled. She blinked, composed herself and walked further into the room. Clutched to her chest was a packet of papers. Mori looked at her disheveled figure, apprehension rising. Swallowing, she took another step forward, looking at Haruhi and then Kyoya, and finally at Mori.

"Well?" Kyoya was the first to speak, breaking the tension of the room. Sora took another shaky breath, keeping her eyes on Mori.

"I… I passed," she turned the paper around to reveal a circled, red B+ on the front. Haruhi's eyes widened and an instant smile lit her face. Tamaki and the twins had come over as well and grinned as soon as they saw the grade. Even Kyoya cracked a small smile. But Sora was only looking at Mori. He hadn't smiled or congratulated her yet. He looked at the paper, looked at her, and finally nodded in approval. A brief smile lit her face before disappearing under a haughty look of pride.

"Good job Sora senpai!" Haruhi laughed in relief.

"Yeah, guess you're not _that_ stupid," the twins grinned at her, arms around each other.

"Fantastic!" Tamaki murmured.

"Thanks Pri… Tamaki… thank you and thanks everyone!" She put on an easy smile, but couldn't help her excitement showing through. _I… I did it! I really did it! _The guests of the room had paused and looked at her when she'd arrived, but paid little attention to her excitement. Relaxing, the hosts and everyone in the room returned to their normal state of contentment. Chattering filled the air and Sora settled by the window, musing over how a letter could make her feel so happy.

Just as her thoughts were wandering to how she should celebrate, she felt a hand on her head. She froze under the touch. Without turning, she felt a small smile form on her lips, but quickly dropped it.

"Good job." Mori said, slowly removing his hand.

"T-thank you," Sora had to clear her throat to get her normal, snarky voice back, "It was all part of my brilliant plan." She could practically hear the eye-roll from behind her. Instead of mentioning how she thought he was secretly a robot, she turned and looked at him. "Thanks… you actually really helped," the sincerity in her voice surprised Mori. He could feel a slight blush on his cheeks but quickly hid it and looked out the window.

"You're welcome." He nodded and then walked back to Honey. Sora felt a small smile play on her lips, but covered it and turned back to the window. Her head buzzed with excitement, but it also tingled in a surprising way where he'd had his hand. _That kind of felt… nice…_ her eyes widened at the thought and she quickly shook her head, ridding herself of any sappy thoughts. _If he knew I didn't actually hate him now… it'd be all over… he'd win…_ she nodded silently, _No emotions and no losing. _

* * *

4:00 pm:

"Hah! Uh! Huh!" Sora heard the sounds of fists hitting a punching bag. Curiosity burning, she tiptoed around the corner of the building and peeked in through the open door of the workout room. Mats lined the floors and walls, and several battered punching bags hung from the ceiling. She gazed at the room with longing, wishing she could remember the last time she'd practiced.

"Erh!" The sound brought her attention to the sole figure in the room. It was Mori. He was dressed in a simple shirt and sweatpants, but he viciously struck out at the punching bag before him, nearly knocking it off its chain. Sora's eyes widened. _Wonder why he's here…_ A sudden thought made her drop her bag and take her sweater off. She was still in her horrid yellow dress, but she figured anything she did to it couldn't make it any worse.

Bracing herself, she took a few steps back and started running. She flew through the door and let out a warning call to Mori before tackling him to the ground and pinning his arms behind his head. He grunted in surprise. If he'd been anywhere near as concentrated as usual he would've seen the attack coming a mile away. But today was different. There was something distracting him that he couldn't name. He heard her laughing and struggled under her strong grip.

"Wow Strong and Serious," she laughed and released him, "Would've thought you'd be more alert." They both stood and he watched her cross her arms and look at him in mock disproval. "What's wrong? Afraid of me still?" She smirked at him.

"Not in that," he replied monotone, gesturing to her puffy sleeves and canary-yellow skirt. She rolled her eyes and let out a groan.

"Yeah, well this wasn't my decision, remember?" She glared at the sleeves and in a sudden moment of genius, started to rip them off. Mori, realizing what she was doing, sped forward and caught her wrist before she could tear the uniform.

"No way," he looked at her sternly. She frowned at him.

"Why not? It's useless to fight with these sleeves!"

"You won't be fighting in that… or you _shouldn't_ fight in that," he shook his head, hand still gripping her slender wrist. Sora rolled her eyes. _Who gave him the authority to boss me around? Geez… _Fiery rebellion filled her and a sly grin slowly formed. _Maybe someone should take that authority away…_ Mori realized what she was about to do and gave her a glare. _Don't you dare…_ She calculated exactly where to hit and move, watching Mori calculate the exact same thing. _He knows where I'm going to strike… he's got my plan all figured out… damn. _She watched him watch her strategize. He knew what she was going to do. So, she did the opposite.

In an instant she'd sprung from his grasp and leapt past his reach, sliding to the floor and kicking his legs out from under him. He had the weight and height advantage here, so time for her to get him on the same level. She could feel the dress already tear, but she didn't care. Swiftly, she tried to reach out and pin Mori to the ground, hoping to prevent a counter strike. But it didn't work. He was too fast. The second he'd hit the ground, he'd moved his arm out and sent a crushing blow to her side. She fell back, winded, but pushed through the pain and aimed a punch at his shoulder. She missed by a centimeter and knew it was over then.

He'd grabbed both of her arms and pinned them above her head. His knee firmly held her legs down, preventing any moves she could've made. He look down at her with a superior look. He had won. She glared at him, wishing she had an arm free to wipe that confident smirk off his face. His face. It was actually quite handsome. She studied it, looking at how dark his eyes were and how the lights of the gym illuminated his hair. For the first time since she'd met him, she looked at him as a person. And really… he was quite handsome…

Mori's eyes widened as he looked at her. Her tangled hair was splayed out around her head, the white streaks making a stark contrast to her black tresses. He watched her harsh, glaring eyes slowly soften as she examined him. His breath caught in his throat and he suddenly realized how close they were. A mere inch or two apart. It would be easy to close that gap. So easy. And a startled part of Mori realized that he actually wanted to close the space between them. He could feel himself disobediently leaning down. It would be easy…

* * *

**Well, well, well... a little close contact, eh? **

**Please let me know how I'm doing! I love hearing from you guys and hope you know how much I appreciate it! Gives me so much confidence and joy :D **

**Anyway... Until next time! ;)**


	9. Winter Festival

**Hey everyone! I just want to say... you guys are the sweetest! I am so grateful to have such amazing readers and reviewers! Without y'all this wouldn't be possible ;) **

**So enjoy chapter 9 and keep being amazing! *throws rainbow darts of awesomeness at readers* *because that's what your awesomeness deserves!***

* * *

_Buzzzz…._ The sound of a cellphone woke Mori from his thoughts. He then realized what a compromising position they were both in and sat up. Sora also sat, face flushed and eyes wide. Slowly she stood, retrieved her bag and sweater, and found her phone. It buzzed obnoxiously for a few more seconds before she opened it.

"H-hello?" Her voice started out shaky, but she quickly regained her normal tone.

"Sora?" It was her father.

"Traitor?" Sora answered mockingly.

"Oh it can't be that bad…" her father said exasperatedly. Sora glanced at Mori, who'd stood as well and was drinking from a water bottle.

"It is," she replied flatly.

"Regardless," her father went on with a light and happy tone; it made Sora want to punch something.

"Regardless, I have excellent news!"

"I'm free of this heartless and soul-crushing arrangement?"

"I heard from that wonderful Kyoya Ootori, as well as Mr. Morinozuka's parents…"

"I'm free to live my life the way I want?"

"And they told me all about this Winter Festival…"

"I'm no longer imprisoned by these preppy maniacs?"

"Sora!" Her father snapped, "Listen to me! Kyoya Ootori told me about the Ouran Winter Festival and I have decided that you will participate fully!" Sora's jaw dropped.

"What!? Why? Isn't it bad enough that I'm trapped here every day?!" Sora exclaimed angrily.

"This will be good for you! You need to learn how to socialize!" Her father sounded like he was ready to hang up.

"No way! These people are ridiculous! Let me out of the deal…" Sora begged, hating how she had to resort to pleading.

"Never," her father chuckled meanly and cut off the call. Sora stared at the phone in disbelief.

"Damn it!" She cursed and went to throw her phone against the floor.

"No." Mori caught her arm before she could release the phone. "You already crushed one phone." Sora frowned at him and he let go. "Self-control," he said, running a hand through his short hair.

"Self-control? You think I need self-control?! Keeping fighting and we'll see who needs 'self-control'!" Sora balled up her fists, ready to go round two. _I'll teach him… that… that annoyingly confident brick wall! _She went to strike, but was easily brushed off by Mori's strong arm.

"Too late," he had the faintest smirk on his face and he turned to walk out of the gym, "I already won." He disappeared out the door into the sun, leaving Sora fuming.

* * *

The next day - Music Room #3:

"So you'll be attending the guests over here, and Tamaki will be there," Kyoya pointed his pen at Haruhi and then Tamaki's assigned positions. "Any guests who want to be specifically served by you will sit in each designated section." Haruhi nodded, trying to follow along. Kyoya had been instructing the hosts for an hour now, while workers set up the tables and kitchen area.

"This is going to be fun, right Haru-chan?" Honey beamed at her. She smiled down at him, having missed his sunny laughter these past few days.

"Yeah!" She looked around the room. For the Winter Festival, the Host Club was doing a café. It was designed to resemble a British tea shop with formal tables and decorations. So far everything was running smoothly.

"Hey Glasses, what do I do?" A sharp voice cut into Kyoya's instructions. He had to restrain himself from grimacing.

"You'll be at that bar brewing tea." He replied flatly, clapping shut his notebook and looking at the hosts.

"That's it?" Sora asked incredulously, "Can't I be some super secret-agent security, or something?"

"No."

"How about a server? Anything is better than sitting behind a counter all day," she looked at the rest of the hosts who had just received their uniforms.

"You don't have the charm to be a server," Kyoya said. Sora shot him a glare. _I'll show you charm when I break those glasses of yours!_

"Oh," Hikaru and Kaoru spoke before she could make a snappy comeback, "But we do have a uniform for you!" They grinned and brought out a dress. Frills of white lace lining black cloth and fluttery ribbons made Sora step back in horror.

"What…" Honey and Mori looked dumbfounded at the garment.

"We were going to have Haruhi wear it…" Hikaru began.

"But she refused…" Kaoru continued, "And boss had a fit…" They shrugged their shoulders and held out the dress to a blue-faced Sora.

"Of course I did! How could I let my sweet, innocent little girl go out in… in _that_!" He pointed at the lacy dress.

"Little girl? Who?" Sora raised her eyebrow at him.

"He calls Haru-chan his daughter," Honey replied, hugging Usa-chan tightly.

"What? Why?" Sora looked back and forth between Tamaki and Haruhi, seeing no familial resemblance.

"Don't ask," Kyoya rolled his eyes and strode out of the room to make further preparations.

"Anyway," Kaoru smiled.

"We thought that since Haruhi won't wear it…" Hikaru followed.

"You can!" They finished in unison, grinning widely.

"Nope." Sora shook her head.

"Isn't it better than that yellow uniform?" Hikaru gave her a mean smile.

"Yeah, canary yellow… what a color, eh?" Kaoru and Hikaru had evil stars in their eyes. Sora went rigid, looking down at the awful uniform she had on. _T-they have a point,_ she thought, _but that other dress… it's so… so… lacey! _She cringed, but knew she couldn't stand to remain in that yellow monstrosity for the festival.

"Alright," she sighed and snatched the dress from the twins, "You win this time." The twins high-fived each other and went to find Kyoya. Haruhi and Tamaki looked at their uniforms, while Honey gazed at the arriving sweets and teas. Mori, leaning against a table, hadn't said a word during the entire exchange. Sora held the dress gingerly in front of her, and began to leave. _Wonder what's on Colonel Cryptic's mind…_ she glanced down at the dress, grimaced, and walked on.

* * *

The next day – the Winter Festival:

"Welcome to the Winter Festival!" All around Ouran people chattered and explored the different booths and entertainments. Sora looked out of the long, arching window in awe. There were people from all over. From middle schools and other high schools to businessmen and impressive-looking aristocrats; basically every stall was crowded with excited guests. _Who knew a high school festival could be so popular…_ she shrugged to herself and turned from the window. Glancing at a clock on the wall, she cursed. _I'm late!_

Racing up the stairs and down the hallway, she had to take a breath and slow down before entering. As soon as she opened the door, rose petals swirled angelically past her. Soft murmuring met her ears and a beautiful scene made her eyes widen. The room was bright and elegant, with each of the hosts wandering around with a teapot. For a second, she almost forgot she was at Ouran.

She watched as the hosts, dressed in formal, black and white butler's outfits, addressed each of the guests with a smile. It was all charming. She saw Tamaki dazzling some girls with his princely airs, and the twins making a group of young girls and guys laugh. She turned and saw Haruhi and Honey delicately pouring tea. And Kyoya was nodding along to an elderly woman's chattering. Finally, her eyes landed on Mori. He'd been in the midst of walking toward Honey when she'd entered. However, as soon as she'd rushed in, he'd frozen.

Looking at his surprised face, Sora thought something must be wrong. _Am I bleeding somewhere? Is there something on my face? _She gave herself a once over and paused, remembering what she was wearing. The black and white dress hugged her chest and waist, resembling a corset. The skirt was definitely much shorter than she'd expected, and the knee-high socks stopped just two inches from the hem of the skirt. Black high-heels completed the outfit. It was all very cringe-worthy to her. But as she looked back at Mori, there was no cringing or disgust on his face.

She felt a slight blush heat her cheeks and she quickly dropped her gaze, settling for moving over to the bar where various kettles and teapots were steaming. _Why was he looking at me like that? Maybe there's something wrong with this…_ she rubbed a piece of lace ribbon between her fingers and mulled it over. _Maybe it was just my entrance… I did sort of run in… yes, that's got to be it! It can't be anything else…_ She nodded to herself, contented with her conclusion, and went to examine the teas.

"You're late." An icy voice growled from behind her. She rolled her eyes.

"Sorry," she turned and crossed her arms, "It took me forever to get this on." She saw the twins' heads perk up and grin wickedly at her. She gave them a fierce glare, but couldn't help but grin slightly. They were idiots, but they were fun idiots.

"You're just going to have to make up for it by going on cleaning duty with Mori," Kyoya took out his notebook and scratched a few notes in it. Sora gaped at him.

"What? Why?! I wasn't _that_ late…" she glanced quickly over at Mori, who was serving a young woman cake.

"Final decision," Kyoya said and began to walk away, "Your father wouldn't be happy to learn of your unwillingness to help out, now would he?" Sora glared at his back, wishing she had the freedom to throw a chair at him. Instead, she took a deep breath and made some fresh Earl Grey tea. _The nerve of that bastard…_ she almost shattered the teapot in her hands.

* * *

"Good work Sora senpai!" Haruhi had come up to the counter and smiled kindly.

"T-thanks," Sora gave a small smile in return and set down the teacups she'd been examining, "Can I get you anything?" Haruhi shook her head.

"No, I'm fine thanks. I just wanted to check and see how you're doing," she smiled, "I know how it feels to be swept up in this craziness." She gestured at the room and hosts.

"Tell me about it," Sora laughed.

Suddenly, she heard people running in the hallway. Freezing, she cocked her head to the side and listened. There seemed to be a large group of people running somewhere, and faintly she could hear the reason why.

"They said it was a group of guys…"

"Yeah… defacing the school…"

"What… yeah they were seen and have started running…"

"No… can't catch up… we need the guards… to close… gate…" And they were gone. At their words, Sora's eyes had lit up. _Troublemakers? At Ouran? _She glanced at the peaceful room. _Can't catch up, huh? _Excitement filled her and she threw down the towel she'd been using to polish the teapots. _Time to go have a little fun… _

"Huh? Sora, where are you going?" Haruhi called after her, but she was already out the door and gone.

* * *

**Goodness... Sora can always find some way or another to get into trouble... *sigh* but that's what I love about her! So rebellious :]**

**Anyway, please let me know what you think! I hadn't originally planned to make Sora this snarky and energetic... but I think it fits her... so hopefully she's coming across as more sarcastically witty than aggressively mean *sweatdrop* **

**Ah well! Thanks for reading and keep a look out for the next chapter to see what happens when Sora confronts these vandals! **


	10. The Rebel Gets A Surprise

**Hey guys! Chapter 10 is here :) I have to say, you guys really say the nicest, most helpful things... I can't imagine continuing this without all of your reviews! Thanks so much! *virtual bow of appreciation* ... and, by the way, I'm really enjoying writing this! Sora's personality is pretty different from mine, so I love going outside my own little box and playing around with her sarcasm and somewhat idiotic bravery ;D **

**Anyway! On to the chapter! **

* * *

"What?" Mori looked up as soon as Haruhi had rushed over to him.

"Yeah. She just took off," Haruhi looked over at the partly opened door, "I heard people running by the room, but she must've heard something else." Mori's eyes hardened.

"There seems to be a little act of vandalism," Kyoya had joined them, "I just got the call. A group of guests from another school were painting graffiti on one of the walls. Someone saw them and they bolted; however, I'm not sure if they've been caught yet." Mori clenched his jaw. _What is she thinking? Going after them? _

Without a word, Mori set down his tray and strode out. Honey gazed after him, a sharp spike of apprehension piercing his chest. _Takashi…_

* * *

Sora laughed as soon as she saw them. They were hiding behind a dumpster on the eastern end of the school's grounds, and looked up when Sora approached. There were five of them. Each had on tough-looking clothes and wore spiked earrings and leather cuffs with chains. They grinned menacingly as she took another step.

"What's this? A little lost kitten, huh?" One of them straightened up and beckoned for his companions to follow his lead. Sora smirked.

"This little kitten has claws," she cracked her knuckles and winked.

"Don't try to be a hero sweetheart," another guy sneered while the rest of them laughed, "You're outnumbered."

"And what's wrong with a little fun, eh baby? We were just showing this stuck up school that they're no better than us," a third guy chimed in. He had spiky teal hair and gave her a leering smile.

"I'm all for fun, _baby_, but not when you do it out of ignorance," Sora scoffed, "These people may be rich and spoiled, but they're well-meaning… well, most of them…" She gave the group of guys a shrug and bent her knees, ready to attack.

"C'mon, let's just get out of here… ignore the girl," the fourth one looked over his shoulder anxiously.

"No, no. She looks like she knows how to have a good time," the first guy said, "Let's take her with us."

"Gonna behave, love?" The fifth guy looked at her from head to toe and laughed.

Sora's eyes glinted. Fire burned beneath her gaze and she gave them all a confident smile. "You're right about one thing: I do know how to have a good time…" she took a few flying steps in their direction, "But I never behave."

* * *

Mori's heart beat faster than he expected. He had followed the group of school guards to the spot where it was rumored the vandals had hid. He jogged beside the crowd and scanned the surrounding area. Slowly, he heard sounds of shouting. He sped up, swerving past the policemen that had arrived, and rounded the corner of a building. He stopped dead when he saw the scene, pulse racing.

Sora was in the middle of throwing the final guy over her shoulder and flat on his back. He screamed in terror and groaned painfully at the landing. Beside him where the motionless bodies of the other four. Sora grabbed one of them by the collar, hauling him up so that they were face to face.

"And if you _ever_ come back here again I swear I will _cut_ off your hand and feed it to you!" She had a fire in her eyes that made the guy shake. She paused for a second, biting her lip, "Okay that's gross… I would never do that. But you know what I mean! Lay a finger on this school and you're done for… got it _baby_?" She sneered and released the guy, who dropped like a rock onto the ground.

Mori, eyes wide, backed up, rounded the corner and leaned against the wall. Taking a deep breath, he burst into quiet laughter. Tears glinted at the corners of his eyes and he fought for control. It was just too funny. Sora's face had been so serious. He continued laughing while the guards and police streamed past him. _That girl…_ he composed himself, _what was she thinking?_ He could be annoyed or angry that she'd had the idiotic idea to take on five guys by herself, but he couldn't deny that he was impressed. She'd gotten to them before anyone, and had dispatched them so easily. It was quite impressive.

He turned back around the corner and looked at the scene amusedly. When Sora, who had been talking with one of the policemen, looked up and saw him, he raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged and rolled her eyes, and turned back to her conversation. Mori had to hide another fit of laughing. He couldn't let her see that he didn't actually find her awful anymore. _She may be like no one else I've ever met… but I can't let her win this battle…_ He shook his head as she approached.

"Sora," he said, keeping as little emotion on his face as possible. Sora rolled her eyes again.

"Yeah, yeah I know… you can save the big 'irresponsible' lecture Mr. I-Have-No-Fun-and-Follow-the-Rules," she examined the torn state of her dress. Mori shook his head and hid a smile.

"Let's go back," he turned away from the crowd and started walking away. Sora took one last glance at the now-handcuffed vandals, blew a kiss in their direction, and jogged to catch up with Mori.

* * *

"I-d-i-o-t…" the twins flicked her head and crossed their arms.

"Hey! Ouch!" She rubbed her forehead.

"It sounds incredible, but pretty dangerous," Haruhi added. Sora shrugged.

"What a nuisance," Kyoya shook his head.

"I must say," Tamaki laughed, "You're certainly one for surprises… but Kyoya's right; you did kind of leave your post and rush into a dangerous situation…" Sora looked like she wanted to protest, but kept her mouth shut. _No use in fighting over this._

"Your punishment is doing all the cleanup by yourself," Kyoya waved at the dirty dishes, un-swept floor, and haphazard state of the tables. Sora suppressed a groan and bent her head.

"Alright," she muttered and snatched the broom from the grinning twins' hands.

Haruhi gave her a sympathetic glance. The twins stuck their tongues out at her, and Honey gazed at her, lost in thought. Kyoya, Tamaki, and Mori remained quiet and headed out, leading the rest of the hosts out of the room. Sora began sweeping, sighing heavily. _So much for having a good time… _She continued working, pushing the broom mindlessly back and forth. The sound of the door reopening made her look up. Mori entered and shut the door. He looked at her, face blank.

"Here to help?"

"Sure," he grabbed another broom from behind the tea bar and swept alongside her. Hesitating, he paused and looked at her. "What you did today," he took a step toward her, halting her sweeping.

"Was stupid?" She offered, ready to hear a lecture on how she had endangered herself or whatever. Mori shook his head.

"What you did today was incredible," he lifted his hand and placed it gently on her head, ruffling her hair slightly. "Good job." Startled, she looked at him with wide eyes. A sudden warmth filled her chest and she couldn't find her voice. She looked at him in wonder. _He isn't going to scold me? To tell me I was an idiot?_ A surprised joy lit her face and she studied his serious eyes and strong expression. _He means it…_ They stood breathless, gazing at each other, for a few seconds, not even hearing the door open again.

"Sora? What the hell?" A new voice broke through their trance. Sora looked up in shock, eyes wide.

"Hiro!?"

* * *

**Dum.. dum... dahhhhh! Drama is coming! I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please let me know what you think! **

**Anyone care for a little romance? Huh? Well... I can promise nothing! But I will say that some sort of action is going to happen ;) **

**Thank you for reading!**


	11. H is for Hotheaded

**Hey everyone! Wow... having off days really makes me happy! Snow is great! Well.. sometimes... anyway...**

**Now, I was going to do a nice little Valentine's chapter... but it just didn't work out *cries* **

**Have y'all ever felt so tired that you just want to sleep? But can't? Yup. That was/is me. For Zeus' sake I just can't fall asleep! Maybe it's my addiction to coffee that's the problem... hmm... but enough about my rambling... here is chapter 11! Please enjoy!**

* * *

"H-Hiro…?" Sora dropped her broom. Mori slowly pulled his hand away and gazed at the newcomer. A tall, young man stood before them. He had jet-black hair and a strong, chiseled jawline. He wore a dark suit and red tie. A business man. But his shoulders and arms looked powerful. Mori guessed he'd be a pretty even match in a fight. The man's eyes had gone from shocked to narrowed in seconds. He turned his sharp glare at Mori.

"Who are you?" He demanded, hand curling into a fist.

"Hiro, what are you doing here!?" Sora cut in before Mori could open his mouth.

"What are you doing with _him_?" Hiro looked like he was ready for an attack. Mori looked between the two, thinking. His mind flickered back to the 'H' that Sora had been carving into the desk some time ago. Was this the man she'd been thinking of? _No. There's something about him…_ Mori couldn't quite name what he instinctively recognized.

"Since when are you in Japan?" Sora had her eyes also narrowed, tensing.

"Answer the question Sora." Hiro responded, head held high in superiority. The light-bulb went off in Mori's head.

"No," Sora crossed her arms.

"You're so stubborn," Hiro cracked his knuckles in a familiar way and turned to Mori. "Stay away from her, got it?" He pointed a finger at Mori's expressionless face.

"Who are you?" Mori finally asked, though already suspecting the answer. Sora sighed in exasperation and looked at him.

"This is Hiro…" She shot him a glare and continued, "He's my brother."

* * *

... a few minutes after...

"Brother?" Haruhi looked back and forth between the two siblings.

"Yeah," Sora shrugged. The hosts had come back, after having noticed Mori's absence.

"Did you know this Kyoya senpai?" Haruhi turned a suspicious face toward Kyoya, who was typing away at his computer. He turned, looked at her, smiled brightly, and turned back to his computer. Irritation marks appeared on Haruhi's forehead.

"This is a charming school," Hiro had walked over to gaze out the window, and now came back to the group, "I must apologize for my sudden entrance." He gave a curt nod to Tamaki and the rest of the hosts; except Mori. He kept his steely eyes locked on Mori's tall figure. "I was in town for a business meeting and thought I'd stop by," Hiro continued, "All I wanted was to see my beloved sister…" he paused dramatically, "Yet I find her in the clutches of a monopolizing host…" (Mori: monopolizing?) Hiro stopped and turned to look at the group; his eyes glistened. "My poor adorable baby sister!" He stretched out his arms and ran toward Sora.

"Stay back!" She easily dodged him, but was caught at his second attempt. Hiro hugged her tightly and Sora glared at the ground, embarrassment flushing her cheeks.

"Wow, he really has two sides, huh?" Haruhi murmured, gazing at the now doting brother.

"He looks alright to me Haru-chan," Honey's flowery face looked at the scene with curiosity.

"Ah you're so cute Sora-chan!" Hiro laughed merrily, "Shall we go play at the park like we used to?" Sora's face turned redder.

"What is he?" Hikaru looked at the two in astonishment.

"Do you…" Kaoru began.

"Have a sister-complex?" Hikaru finished, both twins tilting their heads. Hiro's head shot up.

"Wha? Not at all! I love my little sister as a brother should! I just can't help it if she's so adorable and cute!" Hiro re-flung his arms around Sora and she sighed in exasperation. (Haruhi: those two words mean the exact same thing…).

"So when are you going to leave?" Sora growled, extracting herself from Hiro's choke-hold. Hiro looked at her, hurt.

"Sora-chan! You want me to go that badly?" He made puppy-dog eyes. Tamaki instantly felt a connection with him.

"Don't make him leave!" Tamaki's eyes filled with tears at the sight of the siblings.

"Why are you even here? And don't tell me it was a 'business meeting'." Sora crossed her arms and looked sternly at her brother. Hiro straightened up, face growing more serious.

"Father told me you were going to be arranged with a student at Ouran for a potential marriage," Hiro shook his head, "I don't know what's gotten into father lately." (Sora: lately!?). Hiro turned a cold glare onto Mori, who'd been paying attention to the scene with vague interest. "I can't just let you marry some strange guy," Hiro added, "So I've decided I'll do anything to stop this ridiculous 'marriage'." (Hikaru+Kaoru: he really does have a sister-complex! The pervert!).

"Are you going to talk to father?" Sora asked, hopes soaring a little too high for her liking. Hiro turned to her, smiling widely.

"Nope! I'm just going to beat him so bad he'll never come near you again!" The rest of the hosts grayed and their mouths gaped open in horrified shock.

"Wha?… wah!… Takashi!" Honey cried in worry for his friend.

"C-can he… do that?" The twins shook.

"I mean," Tamaki had batted a hand, "It's Mori senpai we're talking about… he can't be beaten that easily… heh… heh.. right?" The nervousness in his voice made his teeth chatter.

"Pfft…" Sora gave a harsh laugh, "No way in hell brother! This isn't even any of your business!" Hiro's eyes hardened at that.

"Of course it's my business! I'm your brother!" Sora narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "I'll beat that pretty boy of yours don't worry!"

"Leave! Now!" Sora growled. She and Hiro were face to face, each glaring at each other.

"Never!" His once sunny attitude had been replaced by a sinister and serious manner.

"Leave!" Sora wanted to throw him out the window.

"Make me!" (Hosts: heh… heh.. they're definitely brother and sister…)

"Fine!" Sora smirked, "_I'll_ fight you! And if I win you leave me alone." Hiro contemplated the idea and smirked right back at her.

"Fine. And if _I_ win, you stay away from this _Host Club_ and _him_," he looked at her haughtily.

"Fine!" Sora sniffed, determination kicking in.

"I'm here for the next week, so, bring it on, lil' sis!" Hiro laughed deeply and headed for the door, "Oh… and what was our score again? 45 to 37 was it? Hm." He shot them all a lazy grin and walked out.

The hosts gazed after him, still reeling from the sudden challenge. Sora had dropped to her knees, rage coursing through her. Her face was red and her arms shook in anger. _That bastard! I'll beat him no matter what! He thinks he can win? I've grown stronger! I've trained! I'll kick his ass!_ The way she muttered to herself and glared at the ground made the hosts silence any comments they had been about to make. They then turned to Mori. Honey approached him, looking up at him with wide, brown eyes.

"What do you think Takashi? You didn't say a word." Mori looked down at his little friend, mind heavy with what had just occurred. Though he never liked to turn down a challenge, particularly one about pride and strength, he knew well enough to not get in the way of family conflicts. He gave Honey a light shrug and also headed for the door, intending to go home.

"They may do as they wish," he said, and exited, leaving the hosts puzzling at his bland and stony reaction.

* * *

The next day:

"So that's what that meant?" The twins had their heads tilted in meek curiosity.

"Yeah," Sora blushed again with chagrin.

"Wow… so Hiro won 45 of your fights?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah," Sora blushed even harder, hating to admit her weakness.

"And you won…?" Kyoya paused from typing.

"_37_." Sora said through gritted teeth, promising to crack his computer in half.

"Ah right," he smiled innocently and turned back to typing. Sora grumbled beneath her breath, but held back her comment about Glasses and the back of a donkey.

"Don't worry So-chan," Honey said, using her pet name for the first time, "You're strong." He looked at her hesitantly, and she looked back as equally hesitant. Their interactions had been brief and awkward. Her attempt at taking his life hadn't really helped the whole 'friendship' thing. But as she looked at his sweet face, she realized that he was giving her another chance. This warmed her heart in a surprising way and she found herself smiling at him.

"Thanks Clover," she grinned. Honey's uncertain face slowly transformed to a bubbly smile.

"It's Honey." He corrected with a grin.

"Well… whatever happens… it seems like Mori senpai's not gonna react…" the twins yawned.

"Always serious," Sora shook her head, wondering how on earth he could keep that calm, cool, and collected attitude all the time. _Does he just not care?_

"Oh that's right! I have to go meet him now!" Honey jumped up from his seat and gave Sora a reassuring smile. He exited swiftly with Usa-chan in tow. Sora looked after him, mind turning. It wasn't ever going to be a perfect friendship. But he'd accepted her. _How can such a small person have such a big heart? _She thought back to how happy he always looked. _Yes,_ she gave a determined nod,_ that's how I want it to be. Happy._ Then she remembered Mori. His face always seemed blank. He was constantly level-headed. A calm façade. _But not always_… she'd seen him smile once or twice. _But never truly emotional. Never angry… never joyous… never…_

She shook her head, ridding herself of anything concerning Mori. She had to focus. To beat Hiro would be hard. She gritted her teeth and turned back to the hosts' conversation. _Yes, but I _will_ beat him._

* * *

5:10 PM – Music Room #3:

The Host Club had done well that day. Guests had been satisfied and happy, and the hosts had even all enjoyed themselves. It had been a pleasant afternoon. Everyone had been content. Everyone except Sora. She had practically stared a hole in the wall of the music room. Her mind had buzzed with the thought of fighting Hiro. She had always loved sparring with him, but he was good. And he knew her moves. It was going to be tough. Losing was not an option, though it worried her. _There's a good chance I won't be able to…_ _No! Don't think like that! _She put her hands to her face.

The hosts had all begun to go home. Haruhi and the twins had just walked out, and Honey and Mori followed soon after. Mori hadn't even looked in her direction all day. If she had been up to her normal self, she would've gone straight up to him and cracked a joke at his expense. But today was not the day. She was too apprehensive and annoyed. She'd nearly cracked the table in half when she thought of losing to her brother.

"Ah, Sora? Can I speak with you a minute?" Tamaki stood beside her. She looked up at him and nodded, standing as well. Kyoya had just exited, giving Tamaki a short wave before disappearing.

"Yes Princess… Ah, er… Tamaki?" Sora corrected herself with a laugh. He laughed as well, but quickly resumed a serious face.

"I wanted to ask… to ask you who you are fighting for…" He looked at her sincerely. Sora looked back, startled at the question.

"Wha… what do you mean?" Tamaki bit his thumb, contemplating how to phrase his next words. Kyoya had told him not to say anything stupid, but he just couldn't help himself. He refused to believe that Sora had that much hate for her brother._ A family is a family, and they love each other. That's what they do. _

"Are you really fighting because of your dislike for your brother? Or are you fighting for… for Mori senpai?" Tamaki finally asked, violet eyes gazing out the window. Sora couldn't find an immediate reply. _Who am I fighting for? _Confusion swirled within her and a strange anxiety welled up in her chest. Blinking, she found an easy answer.

"Myself, obviously!" She raised her fist in the air, grinning widely, "This is about pride! I can't lose to my brother! He can't tell me what to do!" She hustled to the door and gave Tamaki one last convincing smirk, "Don't worry Princess. I'll beat him and prove my superiority!" Tamaki watched her go, sighing.

"Pride, huh?"

* * *

**And here we are, a new character! **

**Hiro Eraito:**

**Age - 26**

**Height - 6 ft. **

**Eyes and Hair - dark, gray eyes and jet-black hair**

**Sign - Scorpio**

**Profession: -runs the overseas branch of the Eraito's company **

**Fun facts: **

**-Hiro has a split personality: 1) he is a cute-loving, doting and all around flowery brother 2) he is a cutthroat business-man **

**-He dotes on Sora way too much (he even gave her the motorcycle that she wrecked in an earlier chapter!) **

**-He and their father have a relatively stable relationship, but Hiro doesn't really trust his father's actions **

**-Sora really dislikes (even hates) Hiro... and his loving-brother attitude doesn't help!**

* * *

Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please let me know what you think!

If you're with somebody this Valentine's day, enjoy! Love them to the fullest and have fun!

If you're alone this Valentine's day, don't worry! Rock the single life and let me know what you do instead of cuddle to corny movies!

thanks for reading :D


	12. It's A Family Thing

**Do you guys ever stumble across something and start to really like it all of a sudden? I will find something awesome and then slowly (or quickly.. it really depends) will start to think it's not just 'awesome' but 'AWESOME!' and I'm just like... "yep... I can feel the obsession kicking in... in 3...2...1..." and as soon as I become obsessed I just go "Oop.. there it is." That's how I become obsessed with things. It's a disease! **

**So that's my life. In a nutshell ;) hehe anyway... please enjoy this chapter! I hope y'all have liked it so far!**

* * *

"Oh? Hi sis!" Hiro opened the door with a wide, loving smile. Sora instantly slammed the door in his face. Hiro reopened the door and looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Aw Sora-chan! Are you still mad?" He put on his best pouting face. Sora rolled her eyes. Her brother had always been supremely doting toward her, which contrasted starkly with his stiff and serious business attitude.

"Why are you here?" Sora groaned, shrugging off her brother's hug.

"Father said I could stay here!" Hiro replied brightly, flowers popping up by his face.

"You're an adult aren't you? Go stay at a hotel!" Sora maneuvered past him and headed toward the large staircase to her right.

"Wahhhh Sora-chan! So mean!" Hiro complained, but watched her trudge up the stairs to her room. His wide, childish smile faded and he shook his head, a small smile lingering.

"So grown up," Hiro murmured, sticking his hands in his pockets. His dark gray eyes flickered to the various pictures hanging on the walls in the front of the house. There were the happy ones. The ones from _Before_, with Sora and Hiro wrapped in their parents' arms. And there were the ones from _After_. Hiro's chest pinched when he looked at Sora's hardened expressions. Her eyes were dark and her mouth unsmiling. He'd hated that time.

His hand curled into a fist, shaking. And this boy. This boy that their idiot father had arranged to marry Sora. Would he give her true happiness? Is this what their father had wanted? Hiro shook his head and took a deep breath, turning away from the pictures and painful memories. _But that boy is not trustworthy. All he will do is hurt her once he finds out the truth. _

Hiro sighed even more heavily. He was still unsure of his father's intentions, but he knew he had to do something. All he wanted was to see Sora's true smile again. He nodded to himself. To bring back her smile he had to act.

* * *

The next day – Music Room #3:

"Hey Mori senpai," Haruhi approached the tall host, "Where's Sora senpai?" Mori looked down at her, face expressionless.

"Shouldn't she be here?" Hikaru and Kaoru added, looking at Mori. Mori remained silent. Honey clambered up onto a chair and looked earnestly at Mori.

"Takashi," he said softly, "You can still take responsibility." Honey's words made a strange feeling well up within Mori. The way Honey said them made an even worse feeling rise up. But he nodded.

"You're right." And he walked out.

Mori began to search for Sora, mind heavy with the emotions swirling within him. He recognized guilt as the primary feeling. His entire life had been about Mitsukuni, and he'd made peace with that fact; he'd even grown to love the idea. But now there was someone else who he had promised to protect. Another. Not Mitsukuni. He put a hand to his head. His love for his cousin was undeniable. They were family after all… But could he have room in his life for another? _We're family…_ Mori sighed deeply, uncertainty filling him. And now, that other person might be taken away from him. The idea of Sora disappearing from his reach made an even worse feeling surface. _Why do I feel this way? She should just be a distraction to me… a stubborn nuisance that comes second to Mitsukuni. To everything. _

He walked slowly out of the building and in the direction of the gym. A feeling told him that this was where he would find Sora. And, after several minutes of walking, he began to hear the sounds of someone hitting a punching bag. He approached the door of the gym, which was half open, and gazed inside. Sora was indeed there. Mori watched as she viciously struck out at the bag and slashed at it with her right leg.

She panted and leaned on her knees, watching the swinging punching bag slow down. By some slight noise, she heard him. Looking up, a brief smile lit her face before she straightened up and faced him.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" She asked, classic snarky tone in full gear. She had her hands wrapped, but traces of blood could be seen seeping through the cloth on her knuckles. Mori looked at her with a steady gaze. Sweat glistened on her forehead and as she fought to catch her breath, he felt a strange feeling stir inside his chest.

"You're supposed to be in the club room," he said, pushing down the odd feeling that had just arisen.

"So are you," she pointed out, grabbing a water bottle. Mori shook his head in mock exasperation and stepped further into the gym. Coming to stand beside her, he saw what the distance had prevented him from seeing. Bruises lined her arms and legs, and several small cuts were also visible. The purple coloration under her eyes indicated a lack of sleep. Mori looked at her, astonished. Sora looked back at him and then at herself. A blush tinted her cheeks and she hurriedly put on a sweater.

"How hard have you been practicing?" Mori asked, deep voice concerned.

"It doesn't matter. It will help me beat Hiro," Sora replied, going to gather her stuff. Mori followed, persistent.

"Don't work so hard that you damage your body," he said, voice level. Inside, his head pounded. The sight of the bruises and scratches had surprised him. Sora wanted to say something about how she was flattered that he thought about her body, but she couldn't. She gritted her teeth, mind flashing back to the many fights she'd had with Hiro.

"Forget it," Sora said quietly, "It's fine." She turned and walked out, keeping her eyes down. Mori looked after her, worry clouding his mind and making his fists clench.

* * *

The next day – A dojo owned by the Eraito family:

Sora entered the room calmly. Her mind had spun all night, thinking of the different outcomes. She'd barely slept. But as soon as she'd seen her brother, she knew there was only one outcome that she'd allow. The hosts were there as well, much to her annoyance. They didn't need to see a petty fight between siblings. But they'd been insistent. Sora looked at them all, and surprisingly, she felt a tenderness for each of them. It almost made her lose her nerve. Almost.

Stepping up to her brother, she felt her heart beat steadily. She looked sharply into his eyes and he smiled back courteously. Their father hadn't joined. He knew what this was about. _Not that he cares_, Sora thought to herself. Looking at Hiro, she could tell that he'd been training as well. Though he didn't have as many bruises or scrapes, small injuries could be seen. This made Sora's determination even fiercer.

Kyoya stepped up from against the wall. He came to stand beside the two siblings.

"May I do the honors?" He looked steadily at Sora and then at Hiro.

"Be our guest," Hiro replied cordially, giving a slight nod. Sora nodded stiffly and tensed.

"Ready," Kyoya held up a hand and took a breath, "Begin." And stepped back.

Sora knew that Hiro always liked to make the first move. He'd won half of their fights that way. But not this time. Sora lunged immediately for his legs and was able to knock him off balance. Hiro quickly regained it, though, and swung out with his arm and landed a stinging blow to her shoulder. He followed with a powerful swing at her upper thigh, attempting to stop her mobility, but Sora dodged it. Aiming carefully, she struck out at his sides and just managed to hit straight below his ribcage. Hiro staggered back, wiping at his face.

"Nice hit sis," he laughed, "But you'll have to try harder than that to win." The hosts all looked on in anxiety. The twins couldn't take their eyes off the fight, and Tamaki and Kyoya brooded in silent worry. Haruhi winced at each strike, and Tamaki gently put a hand over hers, feeling it tense every time Sora was hit. Honey and Mori stood together, faces grave. They knew a skilled fighter when they saw one. And Hiro was skilled.

After thirty minutes, neither sibling had fallen. Sora looked like she was taking the majority of Hiro's attacks up front. His brute strength alone could've knocked her out if she hadn't been so good at dodging his attacks. Hiro 'tsked' as she evaded him again. _She has gotten better._ The thought made him proud, but he remained resolute in his decision to end her time at Ouran. A hopeful side of him thought there was a chance he could take her traveling with him. They could go abroad and he could introduce her to his side of the family business. The thought made him happy.

"Augh," Sora had just been thrown back and she skidded until she came to a stop. She huffed and felt exhaustion setting in. They were a very good match. She struggled to straighten up, but felt her legs weaken. Shaking, she dropped one knee to the floor. She put her hand out to steady herself and cursed internally. _Damn. I'm losing._ The thought saddened her more than she had expected it to. She'd figured that losing this was just another tick off her pride. But now, with sweat dripping down her face and her body aching, she realized it was more than that. _I'd be losing them…_

"I'm sorry lil' sis," Hiro came up to her, panting with equal exhaustion, "I didn't want it to come to this…" His gentle eyes hardened and he raised his arm, ready to end the match and win by knocking her out. _A strong blow to the head will end this. _Even if Sora hated him for a while, he knew he couldn't let her continue in this arranged marriage. He would take whatever hate he deserved. The muscles in his arm went rigid and he moved to strike. Sora looked at him, tears stinging the back of her eyes, and prepared for the blow. Her vision swam and she took trembling breaths. This was going to hurt. In more ways than one.

A strong hand caught his wrist before he could make contact with Sora's defeated form. Hiro looked up, eyes wide. Mori stared stormily back, face set in anger. Unable to find words, Hiro jerked his arm out of Mori's grasp and looked at him incredulously.

"Enough." Mori said coldly. Sora lifted her head, shakily exhaling. Hiro was still speechless, fury and utter surprise warred on his face. Rage finally won out, and Hiro glared at Mori. _He dares to interfere!? Know your place!_ Eyes dark and glinting, Hiro tensed, ready to battle this boy who'd had the nerve to stop him. However, it was Sora who spoke and acted first.

"Idiot." She growled; summoning the last of her strength and lunging before anyone could react. Her fist made a solid impact with Hiro's cheek and he flew backwards, landing hard on the wooden floor. He stayed there, unmoving. The hosts stared wide-eyed at Sora, hardly believing what had just happened. She could see black spots dancing before her eyes and she turned toward Mori, willing a confident smile to appear on her worn-out face.

"You absolute…" she blinked and started to fall. She felt the ground rush up to meet her. Strong arms caught her before she collapsed completely. The last thing she saw before falling victim to unconsciousness was Mori's face. He actually looked worried. He said something that Sora couldn't hear. The concern on his face was so apparent it made Sora want to laugh. But she couldn't. Blackness enveloped her and she tried to finish what she'd been about to say.

"Idiot…"

* * *

**Alright. I have a confession. For the past two days I've been fangirling so hard. It's ridiculous. I have literally been sitting in my chair and squealing silently over Free! Iwatobi Swim Club friendship feels... it's gotten out of hand. I am obsessed. Remember my description of how I fall into obsession? Yep. It's happened. Someone save me! (Or join me... we can die from friendship feels together) ;D**

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Please let me know how I'm doing! I was going to have Hiro and Mori actually fight, but changed my mind at the last second... think it worked out well? or not? Let me know!**

**Thanks everyone!**


	13. Take a Step Into the Past

**Hey everyone! Welcome to chapter 13! I hope you guys are enjoying it so far :) and thanks for reading! I really appreciate it!**

* * *

"Ugh… Nhh…" A thin shaft of light broke through the murkiness of the room.

"Awake? Finally." A male voice drawled.

"Shh, be nice Kyoya senpai!" Another scolded.

"Wow, she really got him good, huh?"

"Yeah… ouch…" Other voices crowded the room.

Hiro put a hand to his aching face and sat up swiftly. He winced, but moved his eyes to the people surrounding him. He was in a plain room that he instantly recognized as one of the recovery rooms adjacent to his family's dojo. Wincing as he poked at his cheek, he saw each of the hosts. When his eyes landed on Mori, they hardened, remembering what he'd interfered with.

"You!" Hiro struggled to get out of the infirmary cot. "Where's Sora!? What have you done with her!?"

"Hold on," Tamaki's voice halted Hiro's movement, "Hold on, please. We haven't done anything… She's resting in another room. So please, don't do anything… er… rash. We just want to talk to you." Hiro dragged his glare away from Mori's still form, and looked at the blonde.

"What? What is the world could you possibly have to say that will stop me from ripping this guy apart?" He gestured at Mori, who ignored him.

"Well, we're actually more interested in what _you_ have to say," Kyoya stepped forward, gazing at the man evenly.

"What do you mean?" Hiro narrowed his eyes.

"We want to know why you and So-chan don't get along," Honey spoke up, enjoying how he could finally say her pet-name.

"Yeah," Hikaru nodded, "Normal families really don't fight like…

"Like _that_… you were really going to hit her hard…" Kaoru finished. Hiro's suspicious eyes softened as he let their words sink in. _It's true_, he thought, _normal siblings don't actually _fight _each other so viciously…_ He sighed loudly and sat back, crossing his arms.

"Alright," he looked at the group, "I suppose I do owe you an explanation." His gaze darkened, "But you won't like what you hear…"

"We're listening," Mori finally said, stepping forward from his leaning position by the wall. Hiro wanted to leap up and fight the stupid boy, but he restrained himself, taking a deep breath.

"Sora wasn't always this way," he began, "She used to be the sweetest, happiest girl I've ever known…" he smiled slightly, mind flashing back to when Sora used to wear a flower dress and ask him to play Princess with her. "Everything was perfect," he continued, "She and I used to have a joyful brother and sister relationship… Our father and mother were happy. Like I said: perfect." Hiro stopped, face hard.

"So what happened? Why does Sora senpai dislike you so much?" Haruhi asked, wide brown eyes gentle. Hiro's hand curled in a shaking fist.

"The… the reason Sora hates me…" he gripped his fist tighter and lowered his head, "Is not just because I can be the foolish, adoring brother…" He raised his eyes to the group, looking at them with a dark, pained expression, "It's because I remind her too much of our mother." He took a trembling breath and sat fully up.

"Your mother?" Tamaki asked quietly. Hiro looked at him with an emotionless smile.

"Yes. Our mother Hana."

* * *

"Sora?" A soft knock on the door made Sora blink from her semi-consciousness. She blinked quickly and sat up, noting the dryness of her throat and aching in her muscles.

"What?" Her voice was hoarse and she could feel the world sway slightly beneath her. _Earthquake? No… it's you idiot._ She shook her head and looked up at the person entering.

"Oh. It's you; Tall, Strong, and Stupid." She tested the strength of her hands by balling them up into fists a couple of times.

"Feeling better?" Mori entered, coming to stand beside the bed she was on. Sora winced as she stretched. _Yep. That's gonna hurt for the next year._ She shrugged.

Mori looked at her with a blank face, trying to figure out the deep emotion he could feel swirling inside of him. Sora continued examining her arms. Satisfied that she wasn't bleeding to death anywhere, she moved to prodding at her stomach and back. While reaching over her shoulder, she gasped in pain as a sharp, shooting ache shot up her spine. Mori put aside his nameless emotion and bent down, concerned.

"What?" He glanced at where she had just pressed on her lower shoulder.

"N-nothing," Sora's breath caught in her chest as she gently tapped the spot again. Mori shook his head and sat beside her. "What are you doing?" She asked sharply.

"Sit still," he commanded.

"Wah! Eh!?" Sora's back went rigid as she felt Mori's hand sliding slowly up her back, bringing the end of her t-shirt up with it. His fingers grazed her skin lightly as they reached the area she'd been examining. It was a deep purple bruise by her lower left shoulder. Mori's eyes hardened as he looked at the bruise. A small area of even darker skin indicated even deeper bruising. It certainly looked painful to Mori. He put a hand on it as gently as possible.

"Good freaking god!" Sora cringed as pain radiated from the spot. "For all that's good and holy _what _are you doing?! Are you _trying_ to kill me?" She heard felt Mori shaking his head from behind her and squirmed where she sat.

"You'll be fine," Mori replied, dropping his hand and letting her shirt fall back down. He remained where he was though, looking at Sora's back. "This won't kill you." Sora gingerly turned around and faced him with a withering look.

"Easy for you to say Mr. Indestructible," she winced again and turned even further so that her shoulders almost grazed his chest. A sharp beat of her heart reminded her just how close they were. She could feel the inches between them, but couldn't completely process the feeling. _Ow. _The pounding in her chest clouded her head with worry. _Oh no… now my chest is hurting! I really am dying! _The panicked thoughts quickly disappeared as she thought through the feeling. _No… it doesn't _hurt_ exactly… _She realized that she'd been silent for a while and looked up at Mori. He was gazing at her with deep, dark eyes, saying nothing. His stare made the feeling in her chest increase and she stuttered over what to say. Finding nothing, she covered her nervousness with a smirk.

"Hey, if you wanted to get me out of my clothes that badly you could've just asked," she grinned smugly. Mori didn't respond, his own pounding chest making him puzzled. His hand twitched, remembering the feeling of the soft skin of her back. Had he meant to do that? He hadn't really been thinking. He'd only wanted to check to see how badly she was injured. _Why did I do that?_

His silence made Sora's grin fall slightly. What had she just said? Her back tingled where he'd touched. His hand had been warm and strong. But still gentle. Well, as gentle as a hand could be when poking a bruise. She exhaled quietly. Had he meant anything by it? Her experience with men was limited, but she'd always known what they meant and what they wanted when they interacted with her. But him? He was too hard to read. _It probably was nothing, _she reassured herself.

Before she could find another snarky comment to break the silence, Mori spoke.

"Tell me about your mother." Sora's eyes widened at the question and she turned back around, hunching her back unconsciously.

"What did Hiro tell you?" She looked at her hands in her lap, noting the cuts and scrapes.

"He told me you don't get along because he reminds you of her," Mori answered levelly.

"Is that all? Did he tell you what happened?"

"No."

Sora took a deep breath and straightened up, still facing away from Mori. The memories that flashed through her head stung fiercely. They were unrelenting and she gripped her hands together, trying to make them stop. She remembered the nightmares that had plagued her for years. She remembered the last look on her mother's face. It was torture.

"Sora." A hand reached around her and cupped her own shaking hands. She blinked, cleared her throat, and turned.

"My… my mother…" Her voice broke and a tear disobediently ran down her cheek.

"No," Mori interrupted her, voice deep and concerned, "It's okay." Sora shook her head, more tears falling.

"I'm fine…" She dropped her head and watched more stupid tears drip onto the crisp, white sheet of the bed. _Damn it. Why haven't I run out of tears yet? _The image of her smiling, happy mother made her wince in pain.

Mori looked at her in quiet worry. He removed his hand and put it on the side of her head. He'd never seen her this fragile. It worried him more than he would ever admit. It was almost scary. He could handle her at her angriest. Even at her snappiest. But at her saddest? He was lost. Lost under that sad gaze. Completely and utterly lost at the sight of her tears. The only thing he could think to do was stop her from remembering. Stop her from feeling the pain that was so clearly written on her face.

More tears fell and a pang in his chest compelled him forward. He brought his hand from her cheek to around her slender shoulders. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her closer, feeling her rigid form soften and her own arms respond by wrapping around his neck.

"Someday," she whispered, voice muffled by his chest.

"Someday?" Mori asked, breathing in her warmth. He closed his eyes and held her tightly, thinking back to the 'H' she'd carved. It hadn't been for Hiro. It had been for Hana.

"Yes… Someday I'll be able to tell you."

* * *

**Ah goodness... it is so much fun to write fiction. I've been having such a tough time writing for other non-fiction things... like history. History papers are awful *tears of depression over writing skills* If anyone has any super-amazing writing secrets that they want to share.. I'm all ears! *more tears***

**Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! Soon, more about Sora and Hiro's past will come out... but for now, thank you awesome readers and reviewers! *virtual hug of love and puppies and rainbows... and... oh might as well add unicorns in there* ;)**

**Until next time!**


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